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"'We  are  the  Jolly  Friends  of  Fardale,'  replied  a  disguised  voice, 
'and  we  want  you.'  "    See  page  109. 


FRANK  MERRIWELL'S 
SCHOOL  DAYS 


BURT  L.  STANDISH 


PHILADELPHIA: 
DAVID    McKAY,    PUBLISHER, 

604-8  SOUTH  WASHINGTON  SQUARE. 


Copyright,  1896  and  1901, 
By  STREET  &  SMITH 


PS 


CONTENTS.     J> 

_  /  ^  Dl 


I—  Frank  Makes  His  Bow  ....  9 
II  —  Fun  at  Snodd's  .....  15 
III  —  A  Cowardly  Assault  .....  ai 
IV—  Hartley  Hodge's  Little  Game  ...  ay 
V  —  How  the  Game  Failed  .....  35 
VI—  The  Fight  ......  42 

VII—  A  Peace  Offering  Scorned    .        .        .        .49 

VIII—  "Kimbo"         ......         55 

IX—  An  Interrupted  Picnic  .....     61 

X—  A  Terrible  Battle      .        .        ...        .         67 

XI—  In  a  Vault    .......     73 

XII—  On  Hand          ......         79 

XIII—  Still  Enemies        ......    84 

XIV—  A  Mysterious  Cat     .....         90 
XV—  Further  Trouble   ......    97 

XVI—  Visited  by  the  "Jolly  Fiends"  .        .        .       103 
XVII—  No  Escape   .......  no 

XVIII  —  Hans  Sings  a  Song  .....  116 

XIX—  Ghostly  Sounds    ......  122 

XX—  Burrage  in  a  Bad  Fix  128 

XXI—  A  Surprise  for  Frank    .....  133 
XXII—  Cut!         .......       139 


fi  CONTENTS. 

XXIII— Saved! 145 

XXIV— Honors  for  the  Hero       .         ...  149 

XXV— On  Top      .        .        .        .        .        .154 

XXVI— Frank  Receives  the  Medal  .  .  .157 
XXVII— Ambushed  and  Robbed  .  .  .  161 
XXVIII— The  Telltale  Handkerchief  .  .  .167 

XXIX— "Tobogganed" 172 

XXX— A  Lively  Night        .....  178 

XXXI— A  Case  of  Nerve  186 

XXXII— Establishing  an  Alibi       .        .        .        .192 

XXXIII— Frank  Creates  a  Commotion        .        .       199 

XXXIV— Hodge  Grows  Desperate         .        .        .205 

XXXV— Frank  Sees  Fair  Play  .        .        .        .an 

XXXVI— The  Medal  Found— Arrested   .        .        .218 

XXXVII— Cry  of  Fire 223 

XXXVIII— Challenged 228 

XXXIX— Before  the  Game         ....       234 

XL — The  Game  Begins 240 

XLI— The  Game  Waxeth  Warm  ...  247 
XLII— "By  Fair  Means  or  Foul!"  .  .  .253 
XLIII— Hodge  Shows  His  Stuff  ...  258 

XLIV— The  Tide  Turns 263 

XLV— Hodge  Expresses  His  Mind         .        .       269 

XLVI— Gone! 27  5 

XLVII— Bascomb  Asserts  Himself  .  .  .280 
XLVIII— The  Shadow  in  a  Heart  .  .  .  .286 

XLIX— Foiled 291 

L— Over  Black  Bluff 297 


FRANK  MERRIWELL'S  SCHOOL  DAYS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

FRANK  MAKES   HIS   BOW. 

"Get  out!" 

Thump !    A  shrill  howl  of  pain. 

"Stop  it!     That's  my  dog!" 

"Oh,  is  it?  Then  you  ought  to  be  kicked,  too!  Take 
that  for  your  impudence  I" 

A  blow  from  an  open  hand  sent  the  boyish  owner  of 
the  whimpering  poodle  staggering  to  the  ground,  while 
paper  bags  of  popcorn  flew  from  his  basket  and  scattered 
their  snowy  contents  around. 

"That  was  a  cowardly  blow !" 

The  haughty,  over-dressed  lad  who  had  knocked  the 
little  popcorn  vender  down,  after  kicking  the  barefooted 
boy's  dog,  turned  sharply  as  he  heard  these  words,  and 
found  himself  face  to  face  with  a  youth  of  an  age  not  far 
from  his  own. 

As  they  stood  thus,  eying  each  other  steadily,  the  two 
boys  presented  a  strong  contrast.  The  one  who  had 
lately  been  so  free  with  foot  and  hand  had  a  dark,  hand- 
some, cruel  face.  He  was  dressed  in  a  plaid  suit  of  a 
very  pronounced  pattern,  had  -ntent  leather  shoes  on  his 
feet,  and  a  crushed  felt  hat  on  his  head,  wore  several 
rings  on  his  fingers,  and  had  a  heavy  gold  double  chain 


io  Frank  Makes  His  Bow, 

strung  across  his  vest,  while  the  pin  in  his  red  necktie 
was  set  with  a  "sparkler"  that  might  or  might  not  be 
genuine. 

The  other  lad  was  modestly  dressed  in  a  suit  of  brown, 
-wore  well-polished  shoes  and  a  stylish  straw  hat,  but 
made  no  display  of  jewelry.  His  face  was  frank,  open, 
and  winning,  but  the  merry  light  that  usually  dwelt  in 
his  brown  eyes  was  now  banished  by  a  look  of  scorn,  and 
the  set  of  his  jaw  told  that  he  could  be  firm  and  dauntless. 

This  was  Frank  Merriwell,  who  had  just  stepped  from 
the  train  at  Fardale.  Frank  had  noticed  the  other  boy 
on  the  train,  and  wondered  if  he,  too,  were  on  his  way 
to  Fardale,  but  the  haughty,  exclusive  carriage  of  the 
stranger  had  prevented  any  attempt  at  making  an  ac- 
quaintance. 

Now,  however,  Frank  had  no  hesitation  in  addressing 
the  fellow  who  had  struck  the  popcorn  vender. 

"Who  are  you,  and  what  right  have  you  to  meddle?" 
demanded  the  haughty  youth. 

"My  name  is  Merriwell,  and  I  have  a  right  to  meddle 
because  you  just  struck  one  who  is  smaller  and  weaker 
than  yourself.  I  may  be  a  little  fresh,  but  it's  my  way, 
and  I  can't  help  it;  I  always  take  the  side  of  the  under 
dog." 

"Do  you  mean  to  call  me  a  dog?  Take  care!  My 
name  is  Bartley  Hodge,  and  my  father " 

"Never  mind  your  family  history ;  I  don't  care  if  your 
father  is  William  McKinley.  You  kicked  that  dog  from 
pure  viciousness,  and  you  struck  the  boy  because  he 
dared  to  say  a  word  in  lefense  of  his  own.  If  he  had 
been  your  size  you  \vr  Idn't  have  hit  him  quite  so 
readily." 

"I  may  take  a  fancy  to  hit  you." 


Frank  Makes  His  BoWo  it 

"You'll  tip  the  beam  at  fifteen  pounds  more  than  I, 
but  you  are  at  liberty  to  hit  me  if  you  can.  If  you  try 
it,  I'll  agree  to  give  you  such  a  thrashing  as  you  deserve, 
or  my  name's  not  Frank  Merriwell." 

Hartley  Hodge  hesitated.  He  was  angry,  but  there 
was  something  about  the  bearing  of  the  boy  in  brown 
that  made  him  fancy  Merriwell  would  be  a  hard  cus- 
tomer to  handle. 

"Bah!"  he  cried,  snapping  his  fingers.  "I  wouldn't 
lower  myself  to  fight  with  you." 

He  turned  and  walked  away,  while  Frank  helped  the 
owner  of  the  dog  gather  up  his  spilled  corn. 

"Say,  you're  a  dandy !"  exclaimed  the  urchin,  regard- 
ing Frank  with  admiring  eyes.  "That  feller  looked  like 
he  could  eat  you,  but  he  couldn't  bluff  you  a  little  bk. 
I'll  bet  you  can  do  him !" 

"Well,  I  don't  know  about  that,"  laughed  the  boy  in 
brown.  "But  I  think  I  should  have  been  able  to  make  it 
rather  interesting  for  him." 

"Have  you  come  here  to  attend  the  academy?" 

"Yes." 

"I  guess  that's  what  t'other  feller's  come  for.  He's 
gone  to  look  after  his  baggage.  There's  the  expressman 
down  at  the  end  of  the  platform.  He  will  take  you  and 
your  trunk  to  Snodd's  for  half  a  dollar." 

"Who  is  Snodd?" 

"Why,  he  lives  down  at  the  Cove,  and  he  always  keep? 
a  lot  of  the  fellers  who  come  to  git  into  the  academy  till 
after  they  are  examined  and  accepted." 

"Then  to  Snodd's  I  go,  but  I  think  I'll  walk.  How 
far  is  it?" 

"A  good  mile." 

"Just  enough  to  stretch  my  legs  after  the  kmg  ride 


12  Frank  Makes  His  Bow, 

on  the  train.  I'll  get  the  expressman  to  take  over  my 
trunk,  and  I'll  give  you  a  quarter  to  show  me  the  way  to 
Snodd's." 

"Done !"  cried  the  barefooted  boy.  "I'm  your  huckle- 
berry!" 

Frank  sought  the  expressman,  and  gave  him  the  trunk 
check,  together  with  a  quarter  to  pay  him  for  moving  the 
trunk,  paying  no  heed  to  Bartley  Hodge,  who  was  re- 
garding him  with  an  insolent  sneer.  Then  he  returned 
to  the  young  popcorn  vender,  who  whistled  to  his 
poodle,  and  they  started  on  their  tramp  from  the  station 
to  Snodd's. 

The  station  was  situated  on  the  outskirts  of  the  village 
of  Fardale,  a  place  of  not  more  than  one  thousand  in- 
habitants, Fardale  nestled  among  the  hills  which  here 
reached  down  to  the  very  seacoast,  and,  in  the  yellowish- 
blue  haze  of  a  warm  spring  afternoon,  it  looked  a  very 
pretty  little  place,  indeed. 

It  had  been  Frank  Merriwell's  ambition  to  go  to  West 
Point,  but  Harton  Merriwell's  influence  had  not  been 
powerful  enough  to  induce  the  Congressman  from  their 
district  to  recommend  Frank,  there  being  at  least  a  dozen 
other  applicants,  so,  as  the  next  best  resort,  the  boy  was 
sent  to  Fardale. 

Fardale  Military  Academy  was  modeled  as  far  as  pos- 
sible after  the  great  school  at  West  Point,  and  was  in 
many  respects  a  most  successful  imitation.  The  students 
at  Fardale,  however,  were  a  little  wilder  and  harder  to 
manage  than  those  who  went  to  the  Point,  for  the  fathers 
of  unruly  and  wayward  sons  often  sent  them  to  this  pri- 
vate military  academy  to  have  them  "toned  down." 

For  all  this,  not  every  one  could  get  into  Fardale 
Academy,  as  every  applicant  was  forced  to  pass  an  ex- 


Frank  Makes  His  Bow.  1} 

animation,  and  not  a  few  of  those  who  came  to  Snodd's 
as  candidates  for  admission  failed  from  utter  unworthi- 
nesSj  being  usually  advised  to  return  home  and  attend 
common  school  another  year  or  more. 

Frank  Merriwell  grew  jolly  as  he  tramped  along  the 
road  with  the  boy  and  dog  for  companions.  He  seemed 
to  forget  his  encounter  with  Bartley  Hodge  till  there 
came  the  rumble  of  wheels,  and,  looking  round,  he  saw 
the  express  wagon  coming,  with  Hodge  seated  on  his 
trunk  behind  the  driver. 

"Here  comes  that  other  feller,"  said  the  barefooted 
lad.  "He  don't  walk  any,  he  don't.  He's  goin'  to  the 
academy  sure,  and  I  bet  you  and  him  has  trouble." 

"It  is  possible  we  may,"  admitted  Frank,  very  quietly,, 
"I  am  always  making  enemies,  and  I  have  started  in  first- 
rate  here." 

Bartley  Hodge's  eyes  glittered  as  he  saw  the  two  boys 
and  the  dog.  He  reached  over  and  appropriated  the 
driver's  whip,  and,  as  the  express  wagon  rolled  past,  he 
leaned  out  and  gave  the  poodle  a  cut  that  sent  the  tin- 
fortunate  creature  rolling  and  howling  into  the  ditch. 

In  an  instant  the  jolly  look  had  vanished  from  Frank 
Merriwell's  face,  and  he  started  forward  a  step,  as  if  he 
thought  of  rushing  after  the  wagon  and  dragging  the 
vicious  youngster  out  into  the  dust  of  the  road. 

"Now  I  know  he  is  a  coward  and  a  bully!"  muttered 
Frank. 

The  barefooted  boy  went  down  on  his  knees  in  the 
ditch  and  gathered  up  the  poodle,  caressing  and  pattinr 
the  whining  creature. 

"Oh,  if  I  was  big  enough,  I'd  lick  that  feller!"  he 
cried,  his  eyes  filling  with  angry  tears. 


!4  Frank  Makes  His  Bow. 

"Never  mind,"  said  Frank.    "I'll  do  it  for  you." 

"Will  you,  honest?" 

"Well,  I'll  do  my  best." 

"He's  bigger  than  you." 

"I  know  it." 

"I'd  just  like  to  see  the  scrap,"  said  the  urchin.  "Can't 
you  fix  it  so  I'll  be  there  ?  My  name's  Tad  Jones,  and  I 
bring  milk  to  Snodd's  ev'ry  morning." 

"Well,  Tad,  I'll  see  what  can  be  done  for  you.  Hello! 
I  suppose  that  is  the  academy?" 

"Yes,  that's  it." 

Below  them  lay  a  beautiful,  sheltered  cove,  with 
wooded  hills  beyond.  At  the  western  extremity  of  the 
cove  were  the  academy  and  surrounding  buildings,  the 
chapel,  gymnasium,  mess  hall  and  riding  hall. 

Frank  was  most  agreeably  surprised,  for,  as  Fardale 
Academy  was  a  private  school,  he  had  not  looked  for 
anything  so  pretentious. 

He  stood  surveying  the  place  for  some  minutes,  ques- 
tioning Tad  Jones,  who  was  ready  with  answers  for 
everything,  and  then,  having  Snodd's  pointed  out  to  him, 
a  big,  old-fashioned  house  on  the  nearer  side  of  the  Cove, 
he  gave  the  lad  the  promised  quarter  and  started  down 
the  road  alone. 

Little  did  Frank  Merriwell  dream  of  the  struggles, 
trials,  defeats,  disgraces,  battles  and  triumphs  that  lay 
before  him,  and  little  recked  he  of  the  new  life  he  was 
to  lead  at  Fardale. 


i'jQhAPTER  II. 
AT   SNODD'S. 


Tt  was  -not  far  from  sunset  when  Frank  reached 
Snodd's  ;  he  found  his  trunk  at  the  door,  and  Snodd  him- 
self was  there  to  meet  him. 

Mr.  Snodd  was  a  lanky,  farmerish-looking  man,  with 
an  ill-trimmed  wisp  of  a  beard  on  his  chin.  His  clothes 
showed  he  was  in  the  habit  of  making  an  effort  to  keep 
"dressed  up,"  but  didn't  know  how.  He  squinted  keenly 
at  Frank  as  the  lad  came  up  and  asked  : 

"Are  you  Mr.  Snodd?" 

"Wai,  yas,  I  guess  I  be,"  replied  Snodd,  as  if  some- 
what in  doubt  himself.  "Be  you  the  feller  what  owns 
this  trunk?" 

"Yes." 

"Coin*  to  the  academy?" 

"If  I  am  admitted." 

"Hum  !    Wall,  you  didn't  ride  over  from  the  station  ?" 

"No;  I  preferred  to  walk." 

"Yas;  saved  a  quarter  that  way.  Now  I  don't  know's 
we'll  be  able  to  keep  you  here.  An't  but  one  room  left, 
an'  you  won't  want  to  pay  what  I  ask." 

"How  do  you  know?"  asked  Frank,  in  surprise. 
"What  gave  you  that  impression?" 

"Wai,  I  kinder  cal'lated  so  from  what  I've  heerd  of  ye. 
I  never  let  nobody  beat  me  down." 

"How  much  do  you  ask  for  the  room  and  board  by  the 
week  ?" 

"Four  dollars,  and  that  is  cheap  as  -  " 


16  Fun  at  Snodd's. 

"I'll  take  it,  and  here  is  the  money  for  one  week  in 
advance." 

Mr.  Snodd  gasped,  slowly  taking  the  money  Frank 
promptly  handed  over. 

"I  kinder  guess  there's  some  mistake  somewhere,"  he 
said.  "Feller  that  come  ahead  said  you'd  try  to  beat  me 
—said  you  was  so  blamed  mean  you  walked  over,  'stead 
of  payin'  the  expressman  another  quarter  to  fetch  ye." 

"So  Mr.  Hodge  has  begun  thus  soon,"  said  Frank, 
grimly.  "He  was  right;  I  did  walk  over,  instead  of 
paying  a  quarter  to  be  brought  by  the  expressman,  but  I 
wanted  to  stretch  my  legs,  and  I  gave  Tad  Jones  a  quar- 
ter to  show  me  the  way  here." 

"Eh !  Is  that  so !  Paid  a  quarter  an'  walked !  Wai, 
I  guess  you  an't  so  gol  derned  mean  as  ye  might  be. 
An'  you've  paid  a  week  in  advance,  which  t'other  feller 
an't  done.  I  guess  you're  all  right,  an'  if  you'll  ketch 
holt,  we'll  have  your  trunk  upstairs  in  two  shakes." 

They  carried  in  the  trunk,  and  Air.  Snodd  put  his  end 
down  to  introduce  a  buxom,  smiling  girl  who  appeared 
in  the  hall. 

"This  is  my  darter  Belinda;  Belinda,  this  is  a  new 
academy  feller.  What'd  you  say  your  name  was?" 

Frank  gave  his  name  and  acknowledged  the  introduc- 
tion, after  which  the  trunk  was  carried  upstairs  and  de- 
posited in  a  small,  neat  room,  the  one  window  of  which 
looked  out  on  the  academy  building. 

"The  bell  will  be  rung  for  supper  purty  quick,"  said 
Mr.  Snodd.  "Better  git  ready  to  come  down." 

Then  Snodd  left  him,  and  he  immediately  proceeded 
to  wash  and  make  himself  presentable. 

While  thus  engaged  he  heard  a  familiar  voice  outside, 
and  he  knew  Bart  Hodge  was  near  at  hand. 


Fun  at  Snodd's.  17 

Frank  opened  his  door  slightly  and  peeped  out. 

Hodge  had  met  Belinda  at  the  head  of  the  stairs,  and, 
considering  himself  something  of  a  masher,  he  was 
straightway  doing  his  best  to  "make  a  hit"  with  the  girl. 

From  his  position  Frank  could  see  them  plainly,  and 
he  also  saw  that  the  doors  of  several  other  roams  were 
slightly  ajar,  and  he  could  see  more  than  one  curious, 
boyish  eye  peering  from  behind. 

Hodge  was  being  watched  by  Snodd's  boarders. 

"You  have  a  charming  place  here,"  said  Bart,  in  his 
most  fetching  way. 

"Do  you  really  think  so?"  smiled  Belinda. 

"Sure.  But  it's  not  half  so  charming  as  you  are  your- 
self. I  was  afraid  it  would  be  rather  dull  here,  but  now 
I  am  sure  I  shall  find  it  pleasant  and  agreeable." 

"Hodge  is  putting  up  a  pretty  bluff,"  thought  Frank. 

Belinda  blushed  and  looked  down.  She  had  a  pitcher 
of  water  in  her  hands,  having  been  on  her  way  with  it  to 
one  of  the  rooms. 

"We  always  try  to  make  it  pleasant  for  all  our  board- 
ers," she  said. 

"But  I  trust  you  will  try  to  make  it  exceptionally 
pleasant  for  me,"  insinuated  Bart,  drawing  a  bit  closer. 
"A  moonlight  ramble  along  the  shore  would  be  charming 
— with  you." 

"You  are  rather  bold." 

"I  can't  help  it.  Belinda — what  a  sweet  name — how 
poetic!  You  have  the  brown  eyes  of  a  fawn.  The 
sight  of  those  tempting  lips  makes  me  burn  with  a  desire 
to  taste  their  dewy  freshness.  Belinda,  give  me  a  kiss! 
Give  me  just  one,  and  I  will " 

"Get  out!" 

Splash !    The  contents  of  the  water  pitcher  struck  him 


j8  Fun  at  Snodd's. 

full  in  the  face  just  as  he  was  attempting  to  take  the 
coveted  kiss.  With  a  gurgle  of  astonishment,  he  sat 
down  heavily  on  the  floor,  gasping  and  dazed,  while  Be- 
linda flitted  away,  laughing  merrily. 

"Oh,  Belinda!"  shouted  one  of  the  eavesdroppers. 
"How  could  you  be  so  cruel !" 

'And  a  roar  of  laughter  came  from  half-a-dozen  rooms. 

•Realizing  that  he  had  been  seen  and  heard,  Hodge 
scrambled  to  his  feet  and  bolted  for  his  own  room,  drip- 
ping with  water. 

Laughing  at  his  foe's  discomfiture,  Frank  finished  mak- 
ing his  toilet,  and  he  had  been  ready  some  time  when 
the  supper  bell  rang. 

The  boys  trooped  down  to  the  dining-room,  where 
Snodd  introduced  Frank  all  around,  ending  by  present- 
ing him  to  Mrs.  Snodd,  a  large,  jolly-looking  woman. 

Hodge  did  not  show  up  till  the  lads  were  seated  and 
had  begun  to  eat,  Belinda  serving.  When  Hodge  ap- 
peared, the  delay  was  explained,  for  he  had  changed  his 
clothes  throughout,  and  removed  all  traces  of  the  duck- 
ing he  had  received  at  the  hands  of  Belinda. 

His  face,  however,  was  flushed,  for  he  could  not  faH 
to  note  the  sly  grins  of  the  boys  as  they  were  introduced. 
Frank  was  very  grave,  bowing  slightly  to  Hodge,  al- 
though he  received  no  more  than  a  cutting  stare  in  re- 
turn. 

Being  something  of  a  ventriloquist,  Frank  resolved  to 
have  some  fun  with  his  enemy,  so  he  made  one  of  the 
other  lads,  Winslow  by  name,  seem  to  observe: 

"It  is  a  very  wet  day,  Mr.  Hodge." 

This  caused  the  others  to  grin  still  more  broadly,  while 
Hodge  stiffly  returned : 

"I  hadn't  noticed  it,  Mr.  Winslow/' 


Fun  at  Snodd's.  19 

"What  are  you  speaking  to  me  for  ?"  demanded  Wins- 
low.  "I  didn't  address  you." 

"Yes,  you  did,"  returned  Bart,   sharply.  , 

"You  are  a — a — mistaken,"  said  Winslow,  who  had  a 
peppery  temper. 

Immediately  Frank  made  another  fellow  by  the  name 
of  Gray  seem  to  inquire : 

"Mr.  Hodge,  don't  you  think  Belinda  is  a  sweet  name 
— very  poetic?" 

"I  don't  know  as  it's  any  of  your  business  what  I 
think !"  snapped  Bart. 

"Who  are  you  talking  to?"  asked  Ned  Gray,  as  Hodge 
glared  at  him. 

"I  am  speaking  to  you,  as  you  had  the  insolence  to 
speak  insultingly  to  me  first." 

"I  didn't  say  a  word  to  you!" 

"You  did!" 

Ned  Gray  looked  as  if  he  longed  to  punch  Bart's  head ; 
but  at  this  moment  Frank  made  Barney  Mulloy  seem  to 
observe : 

"Whin  do  yez  ixpict  to  take  thot  ramble  along  th* 
shore  in  the  moonloight,  Mishter  Hodge?" 

"I'll  take  a  ramble  with  you,  you  Irish  chump!"  cried 
Bart,  now  thoroughly  enraged;  "and  I'll  punch  your 
head,  too!" 

"Phwat's  thot?"  cried  Barney,  promptly  rising  to  his 
feet.  "Is  it  mesilf  ye  are  afther  addressin*  yer  remarks 
to,  ye  spalpane?  Oi'll  break  yer  face!" 

"Boys!  boys!"  cried  Mrs.  Snodd,  in  amazement  and 
alarm.  "What's  got  into  you?  You  are  behaving  in  a 
most  ungentlemanly  manner." 

"That's  so,  by  gum !"  agreed  Snodd.    "Never  knowed 


2O  Fun  at  Snodd's. 

no  fellers  to  act  like  this  at  the  table  before  sence  we've 
bin  taking  applicants  to  board." 

"Ixchuse  me,"  said  Barney,  as  he  sat  down ;  "but  it 
shtarted  me  blud  a  bit  to  hev  thot  crayther  call  me  a 
chump  whin  Oi  nivver  spoke  a  wurrud  to  him  in  all  me 
loife." 

"Never  mind  him,"  Frank  made  Belinda  appear  to  say. 
"He's  in  love,  you  know,  and " 

"I  won't  stay  here  to  be  insulted!"  cried  Bartley 
Hodge,  as  he  angrily  tore  out  of  the  room,  slamming  the 
door  behind  him,  but  failing  to  shut  out  the  roar  of 
laughter  that  broke  from  the  boys. 


CHAPTER  III. 

A     COWARDLY     ASSAULT. 

"Av  all  th'  big  shtuffs  Oi  ivver  saw,  thot  felly  takes  th* 
cake!"  declared  Barney  Mulloy. 

"He  didn't  seem  to  like  it  when  you  asked  him  if  he 
didn't  think  Belinda  a  sweet  name,  Gray,"  cried  Sam 
Winslow. 

"But  I  didn't  ask  him  anything  of  the  kind,"  rather 
warmly  asserted  Ned  Gray.  "I  never  opened  my  mouth 
to  him  till  he  spoke  to  me." 

"Oh,  come  now !"  exclaimed  several  of  the  others. 
"We  heard  you." 

"I  tell  you  you're  mistaken;  but  Winslow  fired  the 
first  shot  when  he  said  it  was  a  very  wet  day." 

"But  I  never  said  it,  you  know,"  cried  Winslow.  "I 
heard  somebody  say  so,  but  it  wasn't  I." 

"If  this  keeps  up,  Barney  will  deny  he  said  anything 
about  taking  a  ramble  along  the  shore  in  the  moonlight," 
said  Ross  Kent. 

"An'  it's  th'  truth  Oi'd  be  shpakin'  av  Oi  did  say  so. 
It's  nivver  a  wurrud  av  th'  sort  did  Oi  say  to  th'  b'y." 

The  boys  looked  at  each  other,  greatly  mystified,  fail- 
ing to  observe  the  merry  twinkle  in  Frank's  eyes.  As  for 
Frank,  he  was  not  going  to  give  away  the  trick  just 
then,  as  it  might  afford  him  some  sport  in  the  future. 
He  felt  that  he  had  squared  with  Hodge  for  trying  to 
prejudice  Snodd  against  him;  but  there  was  another  ac- 
count to  settle.  He  did  not  forget  that  he  had  promised 
Tad  Jones  that  he  would  give  Bart  a  thrashing. 


22  A  Cowardly  Assault. 

"I  don't  think  one  of  you  spoke  to  Hodge  at  all," 
smiled  Frank.  "I'm  sure  I  didn't  hear  any  one  of  you 
say  a  word  to  him  until  he  spoke  to  you.5' 

Frank  spoke  the  literal  truth,  but  the  others  were  in- 
clined to  regard  it  as  a  joke.  In  order  to  divert  their 
thoughts  and  prevent  a  further  discussion  of  the  matter, 
Frank  told  a  funny  story  that  seemed  applicable  to  the 
occasion,  setting  the  whole  table  in  a  roar  of  laughter, 
and  causing  Hodge  to  be  forgotten  for  the  time. 

Being  a  born  diplomat,  Frank  decided  that  then  was 
the  accepted  time  to  make  himself  solid  at  Snodd's,  which 
he  proceeded  to  do  by  keeping  up  a  string  of  funny  sto- 
ries and  witty  sayings  that  convulsed  the  boys  and  made 
them  decide  that  he  must  be  a  jolly  good  fellow. 

When  supper  was  over  and  they  trooped  from  the  din- 
ing-room, Frank  was  surrounded  and  carried  off  to  Ned 
Gray's  and  Ross  Kent's  room,  where  there  was  a  little 
"gathering." 

"Make  yourself  at  home,  Merriwell,"  invited  Gray, 
offering  the  only  chair  in  the  room.  "Kent  and  I  take 
turns  at  this  when  we  do  not  have  company.  When  we 
have  company,  we  sit  on  the  floor  and  let  our  feet  hang 
down.  Be  patient  till  I  produce  the  baleful  nicotian." 

He  plunged  headlong  into  his  trunk,  and  soon  pro- 
duced cigarettes,  which  he  passed  around,  observing: 

"Life  really  isn't  worth  living,  fellows ;  have  a  cigarette 
with  me." 

The  cigarettes  were  of  the  big,  fat,  Turkish  variety, 

"I  seldom  smoke/'  Frank  declared,  "but  I  will. join  you 
now." 

As  he  reached  out  his  hand,  he  noticed  that  one  of  the 
cigarettes  seemed  of  its  own  accord  to  slip  into  his  fin- 
gers, and  he  instantly  decided  that  it  had  been  "forced" 


A  Cowardly  Assault.  23 

upon  him  by  Gray,  as  a  sleight-of-hand  performer  forces 
a  card 

Instantly  Merriwell  was  suspicious,  feeling  sure  that 
the  boys  had  gathered  to  see  some  kind  of  a  trick  played 
on  him. 

"Fire  away,"  directed  Ned  Gray,  placing  some  matches 
on  the  stand.  "Smoke  up,  boys !" 

He  set  the  example  by  lighting  his  own  cigarette. 

Frank  was  not  backward,  but  he  took  care  not  to  draw 
too  hard  on  his. 

Suddenly  a  dog  was  heard  whining  at  the  door. 

"Get  out !"  shouted  Gray,  flinging  a  slipper  against  the 
door  and  settling  back  comfortably  on  the  bed. 

The  dog  barked  angrily. 

"Somebody  drive  that  creature  away,  please,"  said 
Frank.  "Dogs  make  me  very  nervous." 

Ned  placed  his  cigarette  on  the  edge  of  the  stand  and 
went  to  the  door. 

This  was  even  better  than  Frank  had  expected. 

It  had  been  his  intention  to  attract  the  attention  of 
the  boys  to  the  door  long  enough  for  him  to  light  an- 
other cigarette  with  his,  and  to  fling  the  one  just  lighted 
out  of  the  open  window.  Now  he  proceeded  to  exchange 
his  for  Gray's,  and  no  one  observed  the  swap. 

"There  isn't  any  dog  here,"  said  Ned,  in  disgust,  as 
he  closed  the  door  and  came  back.  "The  creature  must 
be  out  doors  somewhere." 

He  picked  up  his  cigarette  and  gave  a  long  pull  at  it. 

Sizz — bang ! 

The  cigarette  burst  into  flame,  and  with  an  exclama- 
tion of  astonishment  and  dismay,  Ned  flung  it  to  the  floor, 
where  it  lay  and  sizzled,  while  a  long,  green  snake 
saemed  to  writhe  and  crawl  out  of  it. 


24  A  Cowardly  Assault. 

"Behold!"  cried  Frank,  soberly,  rising  to  his  feet— • 
"behold  this  solemn  warning!  That  shows  what  cigar- 
ettes lead  to — delusions,  red  fire,  jim-jams.  I  swear  off 
on  the  spot." 

Out  of  the  window  he  flung  his  own  cigarette. 

"Well,  I'll  swear  off  myself  if  I  ever  make  another 
bungle  of  that  sort,"  declared  Ned,  rubbing  his  eyes  and 
flushing  as  he  heard  the  laughter  of  the  boys.  "You're 
the  first  fellow  to  come  here  and  escape  this  dose,  Merri- 
well." 

"Then  I  have  much  to  be  thankful  for,"  said  Frank, 
smiling,  as  he  saw  the  green  snake  crumble  to  ashes. 

"Oi  say,  b'ys,"  said  Barney,  "are  yez  in  fer  a  bit  av 
foragin'  this  noight?" 

"Foraging?" 

"Yis." 

"Where?    What  do  you  mean?" 

"It's  a  roight  foine  lot  av  coider  Snodd  has  botthled 
in  the  celly,  an'  Oi  know  a  way  to  rache  it." 

"Cider !"  gurgled  Ross  Kent,  striking  an  attitude.  "A 
nectar  for  the  gods !" 

"A  necktie  fer  th'  gods!"  exclaimed  Barney.  "Oi 
niver  hearrud  it  called  thot  before." 

"How  can  we  reach  this  glorious  cider?"  asked  Sam 
Winslow. 

"By  th'  roolway  dure,"  replied  Barney.  "Oi  know  a 
way  to  open  it." 

"Then,  it's  cider — good,  old-fashioned  cider — will  wet 
our  parched  tongues  this  eve.  Are  you  with  uss  Mem- 
well?" 

"Yis,"  demanded  Barney,  "are  ye  wid  us,  or  ag'in  us  ?*' 

"I  trust  you  will  excuse  me  this  time,  as  I  am  going 
over  to  the  academy  this  evening  to  see  Lieutenant  Gor- 


A  Cowardly  Assault.  25 

dan.  Under  ordinary  circumstances,  I  would  be  more 
than  delighted  to  be  with  you." 

In  vain  they  urged  him,  and  they  discovered  that  Frank 
was  one  of  the  kind  of  boys  who  are  not  easily  coaxed 
or  driven  against  their  will. 

Frank  listened  a  while  to  the  plans  of  the  boys,  and 
then  he  begged  to  be  excused,  and  left  them. 

He  soon  left  the  house  and  made  his  way  over  to  the 
academy,  where  he  sought  and  found  Lieutenant  Gordan. 

Arrangements  had  been  made  by  letter,  so  that  his 
coming  was  expected,  and  in  a  short  time  they  were 
seated  in  a  quiet  room,  where  his  preliminary  examina- 
tion was  begun. 

In  less  than  an  hour,  the  lieutenant  said : 

"I  scarcely  think  there  is  any  doubt  but  you  will  pass 
all  right,  Merriwell ;  still,  it  is  well  enough  to  brush  up 
on  certain  points,  to  make  sure." 

Then  he  told  Frank  what  studies  to  take  up,  escorted 
him  to  the  limit  of  the  academy  grounds,  and  bade  him 
good-night  and  good-luck. 

Frank  was  feeling  light-hearted  and  well-satisfied  as 
he  turned  his  face  toward  Snodd's.  At  last  he  had 
reached  Fardale,  and  there  seemed  no  obstacle  in  the 
way  of  his  admission  to  the  academy. 

True  he  had  made  an  enemy  of  Bart  Hodge,  but  he  was 
not  afraid  of  Hodge,  and  he  did  not  anticipate  much 
trouble  from  the  fellow. 

He  knew  little  of  Hodge's  vindictive,  vengeful  nature. 

Frank  whistled  a  merry  tune  as  he  walked  briskly 
along. 

Suddenly,  without  the  least  warning,  some  one  leaped 
upon  him  from  the  shadow  of  some  bushes  at  the  road- 


26  A  Cowardly  Assault 

side,  and  he  received  a  blow  on  the  head  that  sent  him 
staggering. 

Before  he  could  recover,  his  unknown  assailant  was 
on  him,  and  they  grappled. 

The  fellow  quickly  pressed  a  handkerchief  over 
Frank's  mouth,  nose,  and  eyes,  at  the  same  time  bearing 
him  backward  to  the  ground. 

The  handkerchief  gave  out  a  strong,  pungent  odor 
that  seemed  piercing  to  Frank's  brain,  and  robbed  him 
of  what  little  strength  the  blow  had  left  him. 

His  resistance  was  feeble  and  ineffectual,  and  he  felt 
his  senses  beginning  to  reel. 

When  he  tried  to  cry  out,  no  more  than  a  murmuring 
groan  escaped  his  lips. 

Bright  lights  broke  like  rockets  before  his  eyes,  and 
he  heard  sweet  music,  mingled  with  the  tolling  of  heavy 
bells. 

Then  these  sounds  drifted  away — away — away 


CHAPTER  IV. 

HODGE'S    LITTLE    GAM& 

Mr.  John  Sttiodd  was  preparing  to  retire  for  the  night 
when  Bartley  Hodge  put  in  an  appearance  and  drew  him 
aside,  whispering  in  his  ear: 

"Mr.  Snodd,  there  have  been  burglars  in  your  cellar 
to-night." 

"What's  that?"  shouted  the  man,  in  astonishment 
"Burglars!  You're  foolinT 

"Sh!  Easy!"  cautioned  Bart.  "I  am  not  fooling.  I 
am  in  earnest.  I  saw  them  slip  out  by  the  rollway  door. 
There  were  several  of  them,  and  all  carried  something.*' 

"Wai,  I'll  investigate  this  right  off.     I'll " 

"If  you  waste  time  that  way,  you  may  lose  them  all,** 
said  Bart.  "I  followed  one  of  them,  and  I  think  I  can 
take  you  to  him  now." 

"Ye  do,  hey  ?  Then,  by  gum !  I'm  with  ye !  Jest  wait 
till  I  git  my  old  gun." 

In  a  few  seconds  Snodd  was  ready  with  the  old-fash- 
ioned musket.  Hodge  advised  him  to  take  an  unlighted 
lantern,  which  might  be  needed,  and  when  this  was  se- 
cured they  started  out,  taking  the  road  toward  the  Cove. 

Bart  moved  swiftly  and  with  confidence,  urging  Snodd 
to  hurry,  for  the  man  was  inclined  to  hang  back  and  be 
cautious. 

"I  don't  care  about  runnin^  up  ag'in  a  gang  of  bug- 
la  TS,"  he  said. 

"There's  no  danger  of  that,"  assured  Bart.  "Only 
nsae  of  them  came  this  way." 


28         Bartley  Hodge's  Little  Game. 

Down  near  the  shore  Hodge  suddenly  paused  and 
pointed  to  a  dark  figure  lying  on  the  ground  at  one  side 
of  the  road. 

"What's  that?"  he  whispered. 

Snodd's  teeth  chattered,  as  he  cocked  his  gun  and 
pointed  it  at  the  object. 

"It's  one  of  them  burglars!"  he  said,  excitedly.  "If 
the  critter  jumps  at  us,  I'll  fix  him !" 

"Don't  shoot !"  cried  Bart,  catching  the  arm  of  the  ex- 
cited man.  "I  don't  think  he'll  hurt  us.  He  seems  quiet 
enough." 

Then  the  boy  advanced  boldly,  yet  with  some  show  of 
caution,  and  halted  near  the  prostrate  form. 

"Hello,  you ;  what's  the  matter  ?"  he  asked.  "Why 
don't  you  get  up  ?" 

There  was  no  reply;  the  prostrate  figure  did  not  stir. 

"Light  your  lantern,  Mr.  Snodd,"  advised  Bart. 
"We'll  see  what's  the  matter  with  this  fellow." 

Snodd's  fingers  were  so  unsteady  that  he  was  forced  to 
light  three  matches  before  he  could  light  the  lantern. 
After  a  while,  however,  he  succeeded. 

"Let  me  have  the  lantern,"  said  Bart,  as  he  took  it 
from  the  man's  hands.  "This  fellow  smells  as  if  he  had 
been  drinking,  and  I  rather  think  that  is  the  matter  with 
him." 

Snodd  sniffed  the  air. 

"By  gum!  you're  right,"  he  agreed.  "It  does  smell 
that  way.  Mebbe  he  an't  one  of  the  buglars  at  all." 

"Well,  we'll  soon  find  out.  Take  a  look  at  him,  Mr, 
Snodd,  and  see  if  you  know  him." 

The  light  was  flung  full  in  the  face  of  the  prostrate 
individual,  and  both  man  and  boy  uttered  exclamations, 


Bartley  Hodge's  Little  Game.          29 

"Great  ginger!"  cried  Snodd,  astounded.  "It's  that 
last  feller  that  came  here  to  go  to  the  academy." 

"That's  so,"  said  Hodge.  "It's  Merriwell.  I  wonder 
what  the  matter  can  be  ?  Is  he  hurt,  or  has  he  been " 

"Whew!"  sniffed  Snodd.  "Can't  ye  smell  it?  It's 
cider,  sure  as  ye  live !  Why,  here's  a  bottle — an'  here's 
another!  It's  my  own  cider,  too — some  I  put  up  six 
years  ago.  Here's  a  bottle  that's  broke.  His  clothes  is 
wet  with  it!  He's  full  of  cider  clean  to  ther  nozzle! 
He's  drunk!" 

"Oh,  no!"  retorted  Hodge,  as  if  he  could  not  believe 
such  a  thing  possible.  "He  isn't  drunk — he  can't  be!" 

"I  tell  ye  he  is !"  snapped  Snodd,  who  was  beginning 
to  fume  with  rage.  "He's  stole  my  cider  from  the  cellar, 
an'  he's  filled  hisself  chock-full  of  it.  He's  drunk  as  a 
lord !" 

"I  can  hardly  believe  such  a  thing  possible,"  came  from 
Bart,  as  if  he  really  were  very  reluctant  to  think  it  true. 

"I  wouldn't  thought  it  of  him  myself,"  acknowledged 
Snodd.  "He  appeared  like  a  purty  respectable  feller, 
But  here's  the  proof,  and  this  will  cook  him  so  he'll 
never  git  inter  Fardale  Academy.  They  don't  take  no 
young  drunkards  in  there." 

It  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  Bart  Hodge 
suppressed  a  chuckle  of  satisfaction.  In  his  treacherous 
heart  he  was  crying: 

"There,  Mr.  Frank  Merriwell,  I  rather  think  I  have 
fixed  you  this  time !" 

Snodd  stirred  Frank  with  his  heavy  boot,  roughly  com- 
panding: 

"Wake  up,  young  feller — wake  up,  I  say.  Come., 
come!  I  an't  goin'  ter  fool  much  with  you,  by  gum! 
You'll  pay  fer  this  cider,  an'  then  you'll  pack  your  duds 


jo         Bartley  Hodge's  Little  Game. 

an'  git  out  of  my  house  about  as  quick  as  you  know 
how." 

"He's  dead  to  the  world,"  said  Bart.  "He's  apt  to  lay 
like  this  for  hours.  Better  leave  him  here  to  sleep  off 
his  drunk." 

"That's  so,"  said  Snodd.  "I'll  lock  up  the  house,  and 
then  he  will  have  to  pound  around  a  while  before  he  gits 
in.  Stole  my  cider,  did  he!  Got  full  on  my  cider,  did 
he !  Wants  ter  go  to  Fardale  Academy,  does  he !  Wai ! 
wal !  wal !" 

"Come,"  urged  Bart,  "let's  leave  him." 

The  man  seemed  rather  reluctant.  Once  more  he  bent 
over  Frank,  and  then  he  sniffed  the  air  again,  observing : 

"Seems  ter  me  I  smell  somethin'  else  besides  cider." 

"I  don't  see  how  that  is  possible,"  said  Bart,  nervously. 
"He  is  so  saturated  with  cider  that  I  can't  smell  anything 
else.  Come  on,  Mr.  Snodd." 

"Just  pick  up  these  bottles  of  cider.  I  an't  goin'  to 
leave  it  here  for  him  to  guzzle  when  he  comes  around 
ag'in." 

"So  they  picked  up  the  bottles  that  lay  about,  with  the 
exception  of  two  that  were  broken  and  three  that  had 
been  emptied,  and  moved  away,  leaving  Frank  still  un- 
conscious by  the  roadside. 

Bart  Hodge  found  it  difficult  to  keep  from  chuckling 
aloud,  so  great  was  his  satisfaction.  In  his  mind  he  pic- 
tured Frank  being  turned  from  Snodd's,  refused  admis- 
sion to  the  academy,  and  going  back  home  in  disgrace. 

"He  won't  bother  me  any  more,"  thought  the  youthful 
schemer.  "I  have  done  for  him." 

Mrs.  Snodd  was  anxiously  awaiting  the  return  of  her 
husband,  and  Belinda  had  refused  to  retire  till  her  father 


Bartley  Hodge's  Little  Game.          31 

came  in.     They  both  flew  at  him  the  moment  he  ap- 
peared. 

"Did  you  find  a  burglar?"  they  fluttered. 

"Yas,"  nodded  Mr.  Snodd.     "We  found  one  of  'err 
but  I  guess  he  hadn't  stole  northin'  more  than  cider." 

"Did  you  catch  him?    Did  he  show  fight?" 

"He  wasn't  in  any  condition  to  show  fight,  for  he'd 
been  monkeyin'  with  that  cider,  an'  that  stuff's  got  lots 
of  kick  to  it.  He's  down  here  'side  of  the  road  a  piece, 
full  as  a  tick.  I  don't  b'lieve  you  can  guess  who  it  is." 

"Crazy  Day?" 

"Crazy  northin'!  It's  that  new  feller  that  came  here 
last — Merriwell." 

Belinda  gave  a  little  scream  of  astonishment,  and  Mrs. 
Snodd  showed  surprise. 

"Who'd  ever  thought  it  of  him  ?"  she  cried.  "Why,  he 
appeared  like  a  perfect  young  gentleman." 

"He  certainly  did,"  agreed  Belinda;  "and  I  can't  hardly 
believe  it  of  him  now." 

"Wai,"  said  Snodd,  "I  saw  him  with  my  own  eyes,  ans 
here's  my  cider  that  was  layin'  all  around  on  the  grounc 
beside  him.  That's  proof  enough  for  me.  We  left  him 
right  there  to  sleep  off  his  booze,  and  he  can  stay  out  to- 
night. When  he  shows  up  in  the  mornin',  I  shall  invite 
him  to  pack  his  bandbox  and  git.  Then  I'll  report  him 
at  the  'cademy." 

So  Snodd  locked  up  the  house  with  Frank  Merriwei! 
outside. 

It  was  some  time  later  that  Frank  slowly  recover  eJ 
consciousness.  His  first  sensation  was  one  of  nausea, 
while  there  were  dull  pains  in  his  head.  He  tried  to 
move,  but  it  was  some  time  before  he  could  summon 


32         Bartley  Hodge's  Little  Game. 

energy  to  do  so,  and  when  he  did  stir,  it  brought  a  groan 
from  his  lips. 

"I  wonder  what  has  happened?"  he  speculated.  "My 
stomach  feels  as  if  I  had  been  chewing  tobacco.  My 
head  aches  as  if  it  had  been  hit  with  a  brick.  Hit? 
Wasn't  it  hit?  It  seems  as  if  I  remember  something  of 
the  sort." 

.  After  some  time  it  all  came  back  to  him — the  sudden 
attack  of  the  unknown  enemy,  the  blow,  the  struggle,  and 
the  strange  odor  that  robbed  him  of  his  senses. 

"I  wonder  if  that  is  all  it  robbed  me  of?"  he  muttered, 
as  he  struggled  to  a  sitting  position  and  felt  in  his  pock- 
ets. "Here  is  my  purse,  my  watch,  my  ring  is  on  my 
finger,  and  all  my  property  seems  here.  That  was  a 
queer  way  for  a  robber  to  use  a  chap." 

Not  knowing  how  long  he  had  lain  there,  he  got  upon 
his  feet  as  soon  as  he  was  strong  enough,  and  made  for 
Snodd's,  staggering  and  weak.  He  felt  his  clothing  wet, 
and  the  smell  of  cider  came  to  his  nostrils,  but  it  was  so 
mingled  with  that  other  smell  that  had  overcome  him 
that  he  could  not  tell  what  it  was. 

Snodd's  was  dark  and  still ;  no  lights  were  to  be  seen. 
Frank  tried  the  door,  and  found  it  locked.  He  did  not 
feel  like  making  a  racket  and  waking  Snodd  up,  so  he 
wandered  about  the  house,  looking  for  some  mean's  of 
reaching  his  room.  Ned  Gray's  curtains  were  drawn 
close,  but  he  fancied  he  saw  a  gleam  of  light,  so  he 
picked  up  some  small  pebbles  and  tossed  them  against  the 
window  glass. 

In  a  few  seconds  the  curtain  was  run  up,  the  window 
opened,  and  Gray's  voice  called  down,  cautiously: 

"Who's  there?" 


Bartley  Hodge's  Little  Game.          33 

"It's  Merriwell,"  replied  Frank.  "Won't  you  please 
come  down  and  let  me  in  ?  I'm  locked  out." 

"Down  in  a  minute,"  was  the  assurance,  as  Gray's 
head  disappeared. 

Frank  went  around  to  the  door  and  waited.  He  was 
feeling  decidedly  ill,  and  he  longed  to  be  in  bed. 

Pretty  soon  Gray  opened  the  door  cautiously,  asking: 

"Where  on  earth  have  you  been  till  this  hour,  Merri- 
well?" 

"What  time  is  it?" 

"Not  far  from  midnight.     Where' ve  you  been?" 

"Oh,  over  to  the  academy." 

"That  bluff  don't  go,  for  the  regulations  there  don't 
allow  anything  of  the  sort.  But  it's  all  right ;  I'll  never 
chirp.  Won't  you  come  into  my  room.  We're  having 
a  little  game  and  drinking  up  some  of  Snodd's  cider. 
It's  great  stuff.  Come  in." 

But  Frank  begged  to  be  excused,  and  he  lost  no  time 
in  getting  into  his  own  room,  undressing,  and  rolling 
into  bed.  It  was  some  time  before  he  got  to  sleep,  but 
when  he  did  so  he  slept  soundly  till  morning. 

Little  did  he  dream  of  the  surprise  that  awaited  him. 
He  arose  and  dressed  with  care,  changing  the  soiled  suit 
he  had  worn  the  day  before  for  a  light  suit  from  his 
trunk.  His  head  was  a  trifle  sore  where  his  mysterious 
foe  had  struck  him,  but  beyond  that  he  did  not  seem  to 
feel  much  the  worse  for  his  night's  adventure. 

When  the  breakfast  bell  rang,  he  went  down. 

Snodd  met  him  in  the  hall,  and  said: 

"I've  hitched  up  a  team,  an'  there's  a  boy  waitin'  at 
the  door  to  take  you  an'  your  trunk  away  from  here. 
You  can  git  breakfast  at  the  village." 


34         Bartley  Hodge's  Little  Game, 

"What  does  this  mean?"  asked  Frank,  in  utter  amaze- 
ment. 

"It  means  that  I  know  you  for  a  thief  and  a  drunkard, 
an'  I  don't  propose  to  keep  you  under  this  roof  another 
minute!"  hotly  declared  John  Snodd. 


CHAPTER  V. 

HOW    THE    GAME   PAIRED. 

"Thief!    Drunkard!    Mr.  Snodd,  are  you  crazy?" 

"No,  sir." 

"Then  what  can  you  mean?" 

"Just  what  I  say,  by  gum !" 

Frank's  face  was  flushed,  and  he  looked  proudly  indig- 
nant. 

"You  have  no  right  to  call  me  a  thief  and  a  drunkard, 
sir!  I  never  stole  anything  in  my  life,  and  I  do  not 
know  the  taste  of  liquor." 

"Wai,  you  know  the  taste  of  cider  purty  dern  well,  an' 
it's  no  use  for  you  to  deny  that  you  sacked  lots  of 'my 
bottled  cider  out  of  tl.e  suller  last  night,  for  you  was  seen 
carryin'  o."  it  on,  anJ  I  saw  ye  arter  tha  a-layin  'side 
the  road  down  by  the  Cove,  drunk  as  a  lord,  with  the 
bottles  scattered  aL  around  ye  Oh,  youVe  caught !  Go 
right  back  and  pack  you-  trunk,  an'  I'll  help  ye  lug  it  out 
to  the  wagon.  It's  no  use  to  plarver,  fer  when  John 
Snodd  sees  a  thing  with  his  own  two  good  eyes,  he 
comes  purty  blamed  near  knowin'  of  it." 

Frank  was  nearly  overcome  with  astonishment  and  in- 
dignation, but  he  fully  realized  what  it  meant  to  have 
such  a  charge  proved  against  him,  and  that  served  to 
calm  him  somewhat. 

"Mr.  Snodd,"  he  said,  steadily,  "there  is  a  mistake 
here,  and  I  trnst  you  will  give  me  a  show  to  prove  my 
innocence." 

"You  can't   do  it.     Didn't  I  say  I  saw  ye?    An'   I 


36  How  the  Game  Failed. 

wasn't  the  only  one.  You  was  seen  by  another,  and  there 
he  is." 

Bart  Hodge  had  appeared  at  the  head  of  the  stairs, 
and  halted  there.  His  eyes  were  fixed  on  Frank,  who 
fancied  he  saw  a  gleam  of  triumph  in  their  depths. 

"I'm  sorry  for  you,  Merriwell,"  murmured  Bart,  with 
mock  solicitude  and  sympathy.  "If  I'd  known  it  was 
you,  I  wouldn't  have  said  a  word;  but  when  I  saw  four 
or  five  dark  forms  come  out  of  the  cellar  and  scurry 
away,  I  was  sure  they  must  be  burglars,  so  I  told  Mr. 
Snodd,  and  we  followed  down  the  road  till  we  found 
you." 

A  light  began  to  dawn  on  Frank. 

"I've  been  the  butt  of  a  rather  tough  joke,"  he  said, 
with  a  rueful  smile.  "Thai  is  plain  enough." 

"Oh,  you  can't  fool  me  that  way,"  declared  John 
Snodd,  stubbornly.  "You  was  drunk,  for  we  smelled  the 
cider  on  yer  breath." 

"What  time  was  this  ?" 

"  'Bout  half-past  nine." 

"What  time  did  you  see  the  burglars  come  out  of  the 
cellar,  Hodge?" 

"It  was  exactly  eight-thirty,  for  I  looked  at  my 
watch." 

"Well,"  said  Frank,  with  satisfaction,  "I  fancy  I  shall 
be  able  to  prove  an  alibi,  for  I  was  with  Lieutenant  Gor- 
dan  at  the  academy  till  nine  o'clock,  as  he  will  testify. 
This  being  true,  you  will  readily  see  that  I  could  not  have 
been  one  of  those  who  entered  your  cellar  and  stole  your 
cider,  Mr.  Snodd." 

For  a  single  instant  Snodd  seemed  slightly  taken  aback, 
but  he  quicklv  recovered. 


How  the  Game  Failed.  37 

"If  you  didn't  go  into  the  stiller,  you  know  who  did. 
You  can't  deny  it." 

"No,  I  do  not  know  who  did." 

"But  you  know  something  'bout  it ;  I  can  see  that  in 
your  face.  Now,  don't  you  know  somethin*  'bout  it?" 

"I— I " 

"That  settles  it;  you  might  jest  as  well  confess.  You 
let  somebody  else  steal  the  cider,  an'  then  you  got  drunk 
on  it.  The  partaker  is  jest  as  bad  as  ther  thief,  an', 
in  this  case,  I  think  he's  wuss,  fer  he  didn't  have  the 
courage  to  help  git  the  stuff  he  wanted.  You  let  some- 
body else  take  all  the  resk,  and  then  you  took  your  share 
of  the  stolen  cider.  I  don't  propose  ter  keep  no  such  boy 
in  my  house,  so  you  can  pack  up  an'  git." 

By  this  time  all  the  boys  in  the  house  were  listening, 
having  been  attracted  by  Snodd's  high  words.  They 
were  gathered  at  the  dining-room  door  and  at  the  head  of 
the  stairs. 

Mrs.  Snodd  and  Belinda  were  also  listening,  while  at 
the  open  front  door  the  face  of  Tad  Jones  appeared. 
The  urchin  was  loyal,  and  he  cried: 

"If  this  is  the  feller  you  want  me  to  drive  over  to  the 
village,  Mr.  Snodd,  I'm  goin'  to  tell  you  I  don't  take  no 
stock  in  his  being  drunk  on  cider.  He's  a  boss  feller, 
and  I'll  stick  by  him !" 

"Thank  you,  Tad,"  smiled  Frank.  "I  won't  forget 
you  when  that  little  picnic  comes  off — the  one  I  prom- 
ised you  we  should  have." 

Tad  grinned. 

"I  kinder  guess  you  feel  like  having  it  more  than  ever 
now/'  he  said. 


38  How  the  Game  Failed. 

"Mr.  Snodd,"  spoke  Frank,  soberly,  "at  least  you  will 
give  me  a  chance  to  tell  my  side  of  the  story." 

"It  won't  do  no  good." 

"Perhaps  not,  but  I  will  tell  it.  As  I  said,  I  was  with 
Lieutenant  Gordan  till  nine  o'clock,  as  I  can  prove  b- 
the  lieutenant.  I  left  the  academy  to  come  home,  and 
was  a  little  more  than  half  way  here  when  somebody 
suddenly  jumped  out  of  some  bushes  at  the  side  of  the 
road,  and  struck  me  a  terrible  blow  on  the  head.  The 
bump  is  in  evidence  now,  and  it's  pretty  near  as  large  as 
a  hen's  egg.  I  wasn't  qtiite  knocked  out,  but  the  fellow 
grappled  with  me,  and  held  something  over  my  nose — a 
cloth  that  was  saturated  with  chloroform,  or  something 
of  that  sort.  He  threw  me  to  the  ground,  and  that  was 
the  last  I  knew  till  I  awoke  hours  later  and  found  myself 
there,  with  a  pain  in  my  head  and  a  sick  feeling  in  my 
stomach.  My  first  thought  was  that  I  had  been  robbed, 
but  I  found  my  money  and  valuables  untouched,  anr  1 
have  not  been  able  to  understand  the  meaning  of  it  all  till 
the  present  time." 

"That's  a  purty  slick  yarn,  but  it's  fishy." 

"You  do  not  believe  me?" 

"Hardly." 

"I  have  told  you  the  truth ;  I  don't  know  what  more  I 
can  do." 

"You  can  pack  up  an'  git." 

"You  are  still  determined  to  turn  me  out?" 

"I  be." 

Once  more  Frank  glanced  at  Bartley  Hodge,  and  again 
he  saw  the  triumphant  gleam  in  the  dark  eyes  of  his 
enemy. 

"You  seem  to  be  pleased  about  it,  Hodge." 

"On  the  contrary,"  asserted  the   hypocritical  young 


How  the  Game  Failed.  39 

rascal,  "I  am  sorry  that  I  had  anything  to  do  with  it; 
but  you  can't  expect  anybody  with  sense  to  believe  your 
story." 

"Can't  I?" 

"Certainly  not." 

"Well,  I  believe  it,  pop,"  Belinda  declared,  coming  to 
the  front.  "I  know  he  told  the  truth,  for  there  wasn't 
any  lie  in  his  face." 

"Thank  you,  Miss  Snodd,"  said  Frank,  bowing  gal- 
lantly. "I'll  not  forget  your  confidence  in  me." 

The  girl  blushed  furiously,  and  retired  in  sudden  con- 
fusion. 

"Proof  is  proof."  shouted  Snodd.  "Pack  your  trunk, 
young  feller !" 

"All  right,"  said  Frank,  quietly.  "It  is  useless  to  say 
anything  more  about  it.  I  will  pack  up  and  go." 

"Hold  on !"  cried  Barney  Mulloy,  forcing  his  way  for- 
ward. "It's  nivver  a  bit  ye'll  do  thot  soame,  Merriwell, 
me  b'y.  Av  yez  pack  an'  move,  it's  th'  whole  gang  av 
us  will  move  wid  yez.  Eh,  b'ys?" 

"You  bet!"  shouted  the  boys,  with  the  exception  of 
Hodge. 

"It's  moighty  little  we  think  av  a  snake,"  continued 
Barney,  giving  Bart  a  meaning  look.  "And  it's  mesilf 
can  break  th'  face  av  th'  spalpane  thot  plays  th'  spoy." 

"And  as  for  stealing  the  cider,"  put  in  Ned  Gray,  "we 
are  all  of  us  ready  to  swear  that  Merriwell  had  no  hand 
in  that,  though  he  and  Hodge  were  the  only  ones  in  the 
house  who  did  not  take  a  hand.  The  rest  of  us,  one  and 
all,  were  in  it,  so  you  will  have  to  fire  the  gang  if  you 
fire  one,  Mr.  Snodd.  And  if  you  report  one  of  us  at  the 
academy,  you  will  have  to  report  us  all." 


4O  How  the  Game  Failed. 

Snodd  was  taken  aback.  He  did  not  fancy  the  idea 
of  losing  all  his  boarders. 

"But — how'd  Merriwell  happen  to  have  any  of  the 
cider?"  he  asked. 

"That  was  a  little  joke  of  ours,"  explained  Sam  Wins- 
low,  readily,  to  the  surprise  of  the  others  and  the  utter 
amazement  of  Bart  Hodge.  "He  wouldn't  drink  any  of 
the  cider — said  it  was  against  his  principles — so  we  am- 
bushed him  and  etherized  him.  Then  we  left  the  cider 
all  around  by  way  of  a  joke.  Hey,  boys?" 

"That's  what  we  did,"  agreed  the  others,  in  chorus, 
Hodge  alone  remaining  silent. 

"Wai,"  said  Snodd,  slowly,  "all  I've  got  ter  say  is  that 
it  was  a  gol  derned  poor  joke,  an'  you  fellers  will  have 
to  pay  for  the  cider.  I  guess  you  needn't  pack  up,  Mer- 
riwell." 

"Whoop !"  cried  Tad  Jones.  "What's  the  matter  with 
Merriwell  ?" 

"He's  all  right !"  shouted  the  boys. 

"Three  cheers  for  him!"  squealed  Tad. 

"Hip,  hip,  hurrah !  hurrah !  hurrah !"  roared  the  boys. 

"And  a  groan  for  Hodge!"  cried  Tad. 

A  most  dismal  groan  sounded  through  the  rooms. 

Bart's  face  grew  pale,  and  his  eyes  blazed  with  dis- 
appointment and  rage. 

"That's  all  right,  fellows,"  he  said,  huskily,  his  voice 
far  from  steady.  "If  you'd  taken  me  into  your  confi- 
dence, all  this  racket  would  have  been  saved.  I  didn't 
know  it  was  Merriwell  till  we  found  him  in  the  road." 

He  turned  and  hurried  away  to  his  room. 

"Come  to  breakfast,  boys!"  called  Mrs.  Snodd. 


How  the  Game  Failed,  41 

The  boys  gathered   about   Frank,   singing,  as  they 
escorted  him  to  the  dining-room : 

"For  he's  a  jolly  good  fellow, 
He's  a  jolly  good  fellow, 
Which  nobody  can  deny." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  FIGHT. 

"I'm  stuck  on  the  way  you  fellers  pulled  me  through 
that  scrape,"  said  Frank,  as  the  boys  gathered  in  Ned 
Gray's  room  after  breakfast.  "But  I'm  blessed  if  I  see 
just  why  you  knocked  me  over  and  left  me  with  cider 
bottles  scattered  all  about  me  last  night." 

"We  didn't,"  said  Ned. 

"Didn't?" 

"No." 

"But  you  said  you  did." 

"And  got  you  out  of  a  bad  scrape  by  saying  so ;  all  the 
same,  we  didn't  know  a  thing  about  it  till  we  heard  it 
from  Snodd." 

Frank  whistled. 

"I  fancied  this  mystery  solved,"  he  said,  "and  now  it 
is  deeper  than  ever.  If  you  fellows  didn't  do  the  trick, 
who  did?" 

"You  tell." 

"I  can't" 

"There's  a  gint  Oi'd  kape  me  oies  on,  av  Oi  wur  in  yer 
place,  Merriwell,"  said  Barney  Mulloy.  "That  gint's 
name  is  Bart  Hodge.  Av  he  ?.n't  a  snake,  Oi  dunno." 

"Oh,  I  have  an  old  score  to  settle  with  him,"  said 
Frank.  "Gray,  will  you  bear  a  challenge  for  me  ?" 

"Sure !"  cried  Ned,  delighted. 

"All  right.     Give  me  paper  and  ink." 

"A  duel !"  cried  the  boys,  delightedly.    "He'll  have  to 


The  Fight.  45 

fight  you,  Merriwell,  or  he'll  never  stand  much  show  in 
the  academy." 

"Oh,  I  fancy  he  will  fight  all  right,"  smiled  Frank 
"It  strikes  me  he  will  be  quite  ready,  if  he  is  sure  he  will 
have  a  fair  show." 

"That's  what  he  shall  have." 

Frank  quickly  wrote  the  challenge,  which  he  inclosed 
in  an  envelope,  and  intrusted  to  Ned  Gray,  who  assured 
him  that  it  should  be  delivered  at  the  first  opportunity. 

A  short  time  later,  Frank  made  his  way  with  the 
others  toward  the  academy,  where  his  studies  were  to  be- 
gin, and  where  for  the  next  ten  days  he  was  to  do  his 
best  to  fit  himself  for  examination. 

From  a  distance  they  saw  a  corps  of  cadets  march 
straight  as  a  ruler  across  the  grounds  and  disappear  in 
the  big  building,  and  Frank  wondered  if  all  of  his  pres- 
ent companions  would  be  successful  in  passing  muster 
and  getting  into  the  school. 

Although  Lieutenant  Gordan  had  seemed  to  believe 
there  would  be  no  doubt  about  Frank  passing  Merri- 
well himself  resolved  not  to  fail  from  any  fault  of  his 
own,  and  he  began  to  study  in  earnest,  reviewing  old 
ground  and  fitting  himself  for  the  examination  to  come. 

Hodge  was  so  confident  that  he  refused  to  waste  his 
valuable  time  m  brushing  up  on  things  he  had  already 
studied  till  he  was  quite  sick  of  them  all,  and  he  rather 
openly  expressed  his  contempt  of  so  much  red  tape. 

"This  is  different  from  what  it  is  at  West  Point,"  he 
said  to  one  of  the  applicants,  who  did  not  happen  to  be 
boarding  at  Snodd's.  "They  are  not  going  to  refuse  any 
of  us  here,  unless  they  have  to,  you  may  gamble  on  that." 

"But  we'll  have  to  study  after  being  admitted,  and  we 
may  as  well  get  at  it  now." 


44  The  Fight. 

"Rot!"  returned  Bart,  contemptuously.  "If  anybody 
thinks  I  am  going  to  kill  myself  with  study  here,  he's  a 
fool.'5 

As  he  happened  to  be  unpopular  with  the  boys  at 
Snodd's,  Hodge  took  care  to  work  himself  into  the  good 
graces  of  the  fellows  who  were  stopping  at  the  village 
until  they  were  admitted.  As  he  was  well  provided  with 
cash,  and  inclined  to  spend  it  freely,  this  won  him  tem- 
porary friendships  later  on. 

Hodge  showed  no  surprise  when  Ned  Gray  soberly 
presented  him  with  Frank's  challenge  that  noon.  He 
read  it  with  a  sneer  on  his  face,  and  then  tore  it  up,  say- 
ing: 

"I  will  find  a  friend  who'll  see  you,  Gray,  and  make 
arrangements/' 

"Very  well,  sir,'*  bowed  Ned,  stiffly. 

That  afternoon  Hodge's  friend  showed  up.  He  was  a 
big,  bullying  fellow  from  Michigan,  and  his  name  was 
Hugh  Basbridge.  It  was  said  that  he  had  tried  to  get 
into  West  Point,  had  been  sent  there,  but  failed  to  pass 
at  the  examination. 

It  did  not  take  the  boys  long  to  make  terms.  It  was 
decided  that  the  fight  should  take  place  that  very  night  in 
Chadwick's  pasture,  which  was  not  far  from  Snodd's. 
The  weapons  were  to  be  bare  fists,  and  the  battle  was  to 
be  to  a  finish. 

When  Gray  reported  to  Frank,  the  latter  felt  some- 
thing like  a  pang  of  shame,  for  he  was  not  a  bully  or 
fighting  character,  but  then  he  thought  of  the  debt  he 
owed  Hodge,  and  hardened  his  heart  to  his  finer  feelings. 

Bart  took  supper  at  the  village  that  night,  and  did  his 
best  to  make  himself  "solid"  with  the  boys  who  were 
stopping  there  temporarily.  In  this  he  succeeded  very 


The  Fight  45 

well,  as  was  shown  by  his  backing  when  the  boys  assem- 
bled to  witness  the  fight  that  night. 

It  was  ten-thirty  when  all  arrangements  had  been 
made,  and  the  two  lads  faced  each  other  in  the  hollow  of 
Chadwick's  pasture. 

Both  had  stripped  off  their  coats  and  vests,  bound 
their  suspenders  about  their  waists,  and  rolled  up  their 
sleeves. 

Although  there  was  but  the  ghost  of  a  moon,  it  was  a 
fairly  light  night,  and  one  boy  could  be  distinguished 
from  another  at  a  distance  of  several  yards. 

In  some  way  a  number  of  cadets  had  scented  the  fight 
and  found  a  way  to  slip  out  of  the  academy  grounds  and 
reach  the  spot. 

Bits  of  fire  here  and  there  told  that  the  boys  were 
smoking  cigarettes  freely. 

They  talked  guardedly,  for  the  night  was  still,  and 
sounds  would  travel  a  long  distance. 

Tad  Jones  was  on  hand,  quivering  with  excitement. 

"Give  it  to  the  duffer!"  he  had  whispered  to  Frank. 
"Remember  how  he  kicked  my  dog  and  then  cut  it  with 
the  whip." 

Tad  did  not  mention  the  blow  he  had  received  himself. 

Frank  suspected  that  Bart  had  somehow  been  at  the 
bottom  of  the  trick  played  on  him  the  night  before,  and 
he  was  confident  that  his  enemy  had  done  his  best  to  spoil 
his  chance  of  getting  into  the  academy. 

This  was  quite  enough  to  make  any  spirited  younp  fel- 
low long  to  punch  the  offender's  head. 

Ned  Gray  had  whispered  to  Frank  just  before  the  two 
boys  stood  up  to  face  each  other : 

"This  is  different  from  a  sudden  fight,  Merriwell.  In 
ordinary  cases,  I  believe  in  getting  in  the  first  blow,  and 


46  The  Fight. 

that  is  all  well  enough  now,  if  you  can  ao  it  without 
exposing  yourself  to  a  bad  counter.  But  if  you  have  any 
skill  at  boxing,  take  my  advice  and  feel  of  him  a  while." 

As  Frank  said  nothing  to  this,  Ned  went  on : 

"In  that  way  you  may  be  able  to  find  his  weak  points, 
and  then  you  must  sail  in  and  do  him.  Don't  let  him 
wind  you." 

"Time !"  called  the  referee,  softly  but  sharply. 

Then  the  two  foes  stood  face  to  face  in  their  white 
shirts. 

"Shake  hands !"  was  the  stern  order. 

Both  seemed  to  hestitate,  and  then  Frank  put  out  his 
hand,  which  Bart  barely  touched. 

Then  came  the  word  that  put  them  both  on  the  de- 
fensive, and  the  fight  had  begun. 

Hodge  launched  himself  at  Frank,  who  fell  back  from 
the  rush,  dodging  and  avoiding  his  enemy. 

It  was  instantly  seen  that  both  lads  knew  something 
of  the  art  of  boxing,  and  the  spectators  were  breathless 
with  interest. 

In  the  dim  light  all  their  movements  could  not  be  fol- 
lowed as  well  as  they  might  under  other  circumstances ; 
but  both  were  seen  to  feint  and  cut  and  lunge  and  parry 
and  dodge. 

Then,  of  a  sudden,  they  came  to  close  quarters. 

Smack — smash — smack ! 

Three  blows  were  struck  in  swift  succession,  and 
Hodge  got  in  two  of  them,  both  of  which  were  light, 
However,  when  compared  with  the  smash  he  received  on 
the  cheek. 

Hodge  staggered  and  then  lunged  at  Frank,  who 
avoided  him  by  a  nimble  leap. 

From  this  moment  the  fight  was  fast  and  fierce,  but 


The  Fight  47 

Frank  kept  his  nead  in  a  wonderful  manner,  while  Hodge 
grew  furious  with  rage. 

"I'll  fix  you  yet!"  he  grated,  as  Frank  avoided  one  c.' 
his  swinging  blows. 

"You  did  your  best  to  fix  me  last  night,"  returned  Mer= 
riwell. 

"You  and  I  can't  both  attend  Fardale  Academy!" 

"It  looks  that  way." 

At  each  other  they  went,  but  Hodge  was  beginning  to 
breathe  heavily,  while  Merriwell  still  held  himself  in 
check,  waiting  the  proper  time  to  force  the  battle. 

Tad  Jones  could  scarcely  keep  from  whooping  with  ex- 
citement. He  did  not  understand  why  Frank  held  off, 
and  he  longed  to  shout  to  his  friend  to  sail  in  and  win. 

At  length,  Frank  decided  to  take  the  offensive,  and 
straightway  he  began  to  tap  Hodge  in  a  merciless  man- 
ner. He  soon  had  Bart's  nose  bleeding. 

Twice  Bart  clinched,  but  Frank  threw  him  heavily  and 
broke  away. 

In  a  short  space  of  time  Bart  received  such  punishment 
as  he  had  never  endured  before,  but  he  was  gritty,  and 
he  would  not  give  up.  He  took  his  "medicine"  like  a 
man. 

The  boys  could  not  help  admiring  his  grit.  Even 
Frank  confessed  to  himself  that  Hodge  had  sand  to  spare. 

Bart  grew  weaker  and  weaker,  till  at  length  Frank 
was  able  to  send  him  staggering  at  every  other  blow. 
He  was  knocked  down  repeatedly,  yet  he  came  up  and 
resumed  the  fight  before  he  could  be  counted  out. 

"Will  he  never  cry  enough?"  thought  Frank,  whose 
conscience  smote  him  every  time  he  struck  his  sorely  pun- 
ished enemy. 


48  The  Fight 

Suddenly  there  was  a  great  flurry  of  excitement,  and  a 
cadet  broke  into  the  circle,  crying  softly: 

"Scatter,  boys — scatter!  Old  Gunn's  got  wind  of  this 
some  way,  and  he's  right  here  with  Colonel  Hicks! 
Dust!" 

There  was  a  wonderful  scattering,  and  Frank  found 
himself  left  alone,  feeling  rather  dazed  and  bewildered. 

He  did  not  wish  to  leave  any  of  his  clothing  to  be 
captured  as  evidence  against  him,  for  he  knew  discovery 
meant  that  he  would  be  refused  admission  to  the  acad- 
emy, so  he  groped  around  on  the  ground  for  his  coat. 

Suddenly  he  felt  himself  grasped  by  strong  hands. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A    PEACE    OFFERING    SCORNED. 

A  voice  hissed  in  his  earl 

"Phwat  are  yez  doin',  Merriwell,  me  b'y?  Shkip  av 
ye  don't  want  to  be  caught!" 

It  was  Barney  Mulloy. 

"My  coat  and  vest!"  gasped  Frank.  "I  can't  leave 
them  to  be  found.  I  must " 

"Run,  ye  gossoon!  The  b'ys  hev  all  ye  shtuff.  Av 
ye're  caught,  it's  niwer  a  bit  will  ye  git  into  th'  shkool. 
Here  they  coom!" 

Several  dark  forms  were  hurrying  toward  them 
through  the  darkness. 

Barney  literally  dragged  Frank  away,  and  as  the  two 
lads  started  to  run,  a  stern  voice  called: 

"Halt!" 

"Loike  an  ixpress  train  we  will — Oi  don't  think,"  mut- 
tered the  Irish  lad.  "Av  ye  catch  us,  ye'll  nade  wings 
on  yer  fate." 

Frank  was  a  good  runner,  and,  having  recovered  from 
his  dazed  condition,  he  kept  at  Barney's  side  with  ease. 

If  they  were  pursued  at  all,  their  pursuers  soon  gave 
it  up,  seeing  the  hopelessness  of  trying  to  overtake  them, 
and  they  got  safely  away. 

As  they  were  clambering  over  the  fence  at  the  farther 
extremity  of  the  pasture,  a  figure  uprose  before  them, 
and  a  voice  called : 

"Is  that  you,  Merriwell?" 

"Sure,"  returned  Frank. 


5O  A  Peace  Offering  Scorned. 

"I  just  found  out  you  weren't  with  us}  and  turned  back 
to  see  what  had  become  of  you,"  said  Ned  Gray.  "I 
was  afraid  you  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  Old  Gunn." 

"I  don't  know  but  I  should  if  it  hadn't  been  for  Bar- 
ney," said  Frank.  "He  stood  by  me,  and  got  me  away." 

"Ye  can  count  on  me,  Merriwell,  me  b'y,"  assured  the 
Irish  lad.  "Oi'll  shtick  to  yez  loikc  a  porus  phlaster,  so 
Oi  will" 

"Come  on,"  urged  Gray.  "Let's  get  into  Snodd's 
without  delay,  for  we  don't  know  what  Old  Gunn  may  be 
up  to." 

Ned  had  Frank's  clothes,  and  the  hero  of  the  late  en- 
counter put  them  on  as  he  ran  with  his  two  companions 
who  struck  a  dog  trot,  and  held  steadily  to  it. 

"Hodge  has  some  sand,"  observed  Gray. 

"He  has  lots  of  it,"  agreed  Frank,  rather  enthusias- 
tically. "I  took  a  strong  dislike  to  the  fellow  to  begin 
with,  but  he  has  risen  in  my  esteem  fifty  per  cent." 

"He  wouldn't  croak." 

"Not  till  he  was  clean  knocked  out,  and  every  time  I 
struck  him  I  felt  like  a  cur,  for  he  had  worn  himself  out, 
and  he  was  easy." 

"Begobs,  it's  mesilf  as  thinks  he  wouldn't  have  felt 
vehry  bad  av  it  had  been  th'  other  way,"  said  Barney, 

"That's  right,"  Gray  affirmed.  "If  the  tables  had  been 
turned,  Merriwell,  he'd  have  used  you  worse  than  you 
used  him." 

"Perhaps  so." 

"Oh,  there's  no  doubt  about  it.  He's  ugly,  I  can  see 
that,  and  he  is  proud.  It  was  his  pride  more  than  any- 
thing else  that  brought  him  up  to  the  scratch  when  he 


A  Peace  Offering  Scorned.  51 

was  barely  able  to  stagger  to  his  feet  in  time  to  keep 
from  being  counted  out." 

"He  may  be  all  roight,  Merriwell,  me  b'y,"  put  in  Bar- 
ney; "but,  av  Oi  wuz  yez,  Oi  wouldn't  give  him  a  good 
chance  to  hit  me  a  swoipe  in  th'  back  av  th'  neck  whin  Oi 
wasn't  lookin'  thot  way." 

"I  think  I  have  pretty  nearly  squared  my  account  with 
him,"  said  Frank,  who  was  not  inclined  to  hold  a 
grudge. 

"Mebbe  he'll  think  there  is  a  balance  on  th'  other  soidc 
now." 

"Well,  that  is  for  him  to  say." 

All  was  quiet  in  the  vicinity  of  Snodd's  as  they  ap- 
proached the  house,  and  they  wondered  if  all  the  boys 
were  in. 

The  door  had  been  left  unlocked,  and  they  found  it 
still  remained  so,  enabling  them  to  slip  into  the  house 
softly,  without  any  trouble  or  disturbance. 

"Who's  that?"  whispered  some  one,  in  the  darkness 
of  the  hall. 

"Merriwell,  Mulloy  and  Gray,"  replied  Ned,  promptly. 

"Good  stuff!"  softly  exclaimed  the  unknown.  "All 
the  fellows  are  in  now.  I  will  lock  the  door.  Hodge  is 
in  your  room,  Gray,  with  some  of  the  fellows,  who  are 
fixing  him  up.  Merriwell  did  give  him  a  terrible  ham- 
mering." 

The  carpeted  stairs  gave  out  no  sound  as  they  ascended, 
and  they  were  soon  at  the  door  of  Ned's  room,  where  a 
soft,  peculiar  knock  caused  a  key  to  turn  in  the  lock. 

"Come  in,  Merriwell,"  invited  Gray. 

Frank  hesitated.  His  first  fancy  was  that  Hodge 
would  think  he  had  come  there  to  gloat  over  his  triumph, 
if  it  could  be  called  a  triumph;  but  he  quickly  decided 


*2  A  Peace  Offering  Scorned. 

he  would  show  by  his  manner  that  he  was  ready  to  bttfy 
the  hatchet  and  call  the  matter  squared. 

So  the  three  lads,  and  the  one  who  had  received  them 
in  the  hall,  all  slipped  quietly  into  Gray's  room,  which 
was  already  well  filled  with  fellows  who  were  smoking 
cigarettes  and  discussing  the  fight,  while  they  watched 
one  of  their  number  apply  handkerchiefs  dripping  with 
cold  water  to  Bart  Hodge's  cut,  bruised  and  discolored 
face. 

Frank  had  not  realized  how  embarrassing  the  situation 
would  be  until  he  was  well  into  the  room,  and  it  was 
then  too  late  to  retreat.  There  was  a  moment  of  silence, 
while  the  boys  stared  and  hesitated. 

It  was  in  this  emergency  that  Sam  Winslow  showed 
his  tact. 

"Hello,  Merriwell !"  he  greeted,  heartily.  "We  didn't 
know  what  had  become  of  you.  Glad  you  came  in,  for 
now  we  can  congratulate  both  you  and  Hodge.  It  was  a 
pretty  little  scrap,  and  as  clean  a  display  of  sand  as  I 
have  seen  in  a  long  time.  You  both  came  off  with 
honors." 

"That's  right,"  agreed  the  others.  "You  are  both  to 
be  congratulated." 

"Thank  you,  fellows,"  said  Frank,  after  another  mo- 
ment of  hesitation. 

But  Bart  Hodge  said  nothing,  and,  after  one  glance 
at  his  late  antagonist,  turned  away. 

The  situation  was  still  awkward,  and  then,  with  the 
generous  impulse  that  ever  comes  to  an  honorable  and 
victorious  enemy,  he  advanced  toward  Hodge,  saying: 

"I  am  glad  the  fight  is  over,  and  I  am  glad  it  came 


A  Peace  Offering  Scorned.  53 

out  a  draw.  I  am  willing  to  let  bygones  be  bygones 
and  bury  the  hatchet.  Will  you  shake  hands,  Hodge?" 

He  held  out  his  hand. 

Hodge  tore  the  wet  handkerchiefs  from  his  face  and 
flung  them  into  the  washbowl,  straightening  up  stiffly,  as 
he  fiercely  retorted : 

"The  fight  did  not  come  out  a  draw!  Look  at  my 
face!  You  have  scarcely  a  mark!  You  were  the  best 
man  to-night,  Merriwell,  but  this  matter  does  not  end 
here!" 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"I  mean  that  I  will  not  shake  hands  with  you,  and  I 
will  meet  you  again  when  I'll  be  able  to  do  you  worse 
than  you  did  me  to-night.  I  am  not  the  kind  of  a  fellow 
that  forgets  or  forgives." 

"All  right,'*  said  Frank,  quietly.  "Have  it  so,  if  you 
will.  I  am  sorry,  but  I  can't  help  it." 

"If  you  had  a  little  more  decency,  you  would  not  have 
come  here  now,"  came  bitterly  from  the  lips  of  the  dark- 
faced  boy.  "You  knew  you  had  the  best  of  the  fight, 
and  you  knew  I  was  in  this  room ;  but  you " 

"I  came  to  see  if  there  was  not  a  show  to  call  the 
matter  quits/' 

"And  have  it  flung  in  my  face  that  you  licked  me  in 
an  open  fight!  But  you  didn't  lick  me!" 

"I  did  not  say  so." 

"And  you  never  will  lick  me,"  Hodge  hotly  declared, 
"If  we  ever  come  together  again,  I'll  be  ready  for  you. 
I  know  your  tricks  now.  But  you  want  to  remember 
that  I  told  you  once  that  both  of  us  could  not  attend 
Fardale  Academy." 

"I  remember  it." 


54  A  Peace  Offering  Scorned. 

"Well,  I  am  going  to  tell  you  so  again.  That's  all  1 
have  to  say,  and  you  are  welcome  to  think  what  you 
please  about  it/' 

Then  Hodge  returned  to  the  wet  handkerchiefss  and 
his  manner  showed  that  he  had  said  all  he  meant  to  say. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


rKIMBO.w 


It  was  generally  conceded  among  the  boys  that  Herri* 
<*ell  had  done  the  manly  thing,  and  Hodge  had  shown 
himself  a  sulker  and  a  cad  by  his  refusal  to  shake  hands. 

By  his  apparent  courage,  Bart  had  won  a  place  in  the 
esteem  of  the  fellows  at  Snodd's,  and  he  might  have  been 
popular  had  he  met  Frank  in  the  spirit  that  Merriwell 
showed ;  but  it  was  his  thought  that  Frank  would  be  re- 
garded as  the  victor,  and  would  be  the  most  popular, 
which  was  something  that  would  make  friendship  be- 
tween them  impossible. 

In  his  heat  Bart  had  said  something  that  he  after- 
ward regretted.  He  had  openly  declared  that  both  M*er- 
riwell  and  himself  could  not  attend  Fardale  Academy, 
and  he  afterward  realized  that  should  anything  happen 
to  his  rival,  he  had  placed  himself  in  a  position  that  must 
bring  suspicion  upon  him. 

When  he  thought  of  this  he  was  intensely  angry  with 
himself,  and  he  slept  very  little  that  night,  twisting  and 
turning,  moaning  through  dreams  of  deadly  conflicts 
with  his  enemy,  awaking  with  set  teeth  and  foam-flecked 
lips,  and  longing  for  morning  to  come.  Indeed,  he 
suffered  all  that  a  proud  and  haughty  spirit  which  has 
been  humiliated  can  suffer  and  is  certain  to  suffer. 

And  it  was  not  till  the  gray  light  of  another  day 
showed  faintly  in  the  east  that  he  slept  without  dream- 
ing, utterly  worn  out  by  the  wretchedness  of  the  night 

For  Frank  the  night  had  not  been  entirelv  without 


?6  "Kimbo." 

dreams,  but  they  were  far  pleasanter  than  those  that 
visited  his  enemy.  He  dreamed  of  home  and  his  boyish 
sweetheart,  and  then  came  visions  of  success  at  Fardale 
Academy,  and  of  happy  days  to  follow. 

Again  it  happened  that  Hodge  did  not  appear  at  the 
breakfast  table  with  the  others,  nor  did  he  show  uj.  <j 
the  Fardale  Academy  that  day,  sending  an  excuse  that 
he  was  ill  in  bed.  As  he  was  not  already  a  scholar,  and  it 
was  for  his  own  interest  that  he  should  be  there  to  work 
for  admission,  no  comments  were  made  on  this  excuse 
and  no  one  was  questioned. 

It  seemed  that  all  the  cadets  who  attended  the  fight  in 
Chadwick's  pasture  had  been  able  to  get  back  to  their 
rooms  without  being  detected,  which  was  a  very  fortunate 
thing  for  them. 

Frank  was  intercepted  by  a  corporal  who  said  his  name 
was  Miles,  and  who  politely  invited  him  to  the  barracks, 
at  the  same  time  saying  some  very  complimentary  things. 
Frank  hesitated,  something  telling  him  he  had  better 
keep  away;  but  Miles  was  so  polite,  pleasant,  and  per- 
suasive that  it  was  not  easy  to  refuse,  so  he  went  along. 

On  their  way  to  the,  to  Frank,  mysterious  portion  of 
the  academy,  Frank  observed  that  Miles  seemed  troubled 
with  an  odd  cough,  and  that,  for  some  reason,  the  three 
or  four  cadets  on  guard  seemed  strangely  attracted  by 
something  that  caused  them  to  stand  rigidly  with  averted 
faces  while  Miles  and  his  companion  passed. 

The  smile  on  Miles'  face  broadened  as  they  reacht.^ 
the  door  of  a  room  at  the  extremitv  of  the  corridor.  He 
pushed  the  door  open  without  ceremony,  motioning  for 
F  rank  to  enter. 

In  another  moment  Frank  found  himself  in  the  pres- 


"Kimbo."  57 

ence  of  more  than  a  dozen  cadets,  the  door  closed  behind 
him,  and  Corporal  Miles  was  gone. 

"What's  this — what's  the  meaning  of  this  intrusion, 
sir?"  cried  a  strapping  fellow  who  looked  fierce  enough 
to  eat  Frank. 

"Er — er — I  beg  to  be  excused,"  stammered  Frank.  "1 
was  invited  here." 

"Invited  here?    By  whom,  sir?" 

"By  Corporal  Miles." 

"Corporal  Miles!  There  is  no  such  person  in  this 
academy.  This  intrusion  by  a  civilian  is  unprecedented. 
How  did  you  pass  the  guard?" 

"They  turned  their  backs  on  me,  and——*' 

"What's  that?"  roared  the  strapping  fellow,  appar- 
ently greatly  incensed.  "Do  you  accuse  the  cadets  of 
Fardale  Academy  with  neglect  of  duty?  Do  you  dare 
make  such  a  charge  ?  It  cannot  be  you  know  the  grave 
import  of  your  words !" 

"I  don't  accuse  anybody  of  anything,"  laughed  Frank, 
shortly.  "I  think  I  have  made  a  mistake,  and  I  will  get 
out." 

But  it  was  not  so  easy  to  get  out  as  it  was  to  get  in,  as 
he  quickly  discovered,  for  the  door  of  the  room  had  been 
made  secure.  Then  he  realized  that  he  had  been  trapped 
to  provide  some  amusement  for  the  cadets. 

"Not  so  fast,  sir,"  said  the  big  fellow.  "For  all  we 
know,  you  may  be  a  spy  here,  with  intentions  hostile  to 
the  peace  and  prosperity  of  this  institution ;  or  there  may 
be  a  still  graver  charge  than  that  hanging  over  you. 
What  is  your  name  ?" 

Realizing  that  he  might  as  well  make  the  best  of  it,  the 
unfortunate  "civilian"  replied : 

"Frank  Merriwell." 


58  "  Kimbo. :> 

"Merriwell,  Merriwell?  Seems  to  me  I  have  heard 
that  name  before.  Weren't  you  concerned  in  some  kind 
of  a  rowdyish  affair — a  fight,  or  something  of  that  sort — 
last  night?" 

"I— I  believe  so." 

"Exactly,  sir.  Now,  will  you  be  good  enough  tc  nanu 
your  opponent  in  that  disgraceful  affair,  and  likewise  any 
and  all  persons  present?" 

It  was  a  command,  and  Frank  immediately  took  alarm. 
Perhaps,  after  all,  this  trick  was  an  attempt  to  force  him 
into  giving  away  the  names  of  the  offenders,  which 
might  mean  something  serious  for  the  offenders  them- 
selves, so  he  promptly  returned : 

"No,  sir   I  will  not." 

"What  l"  roared  the  big  cadet,  as  if  he  doubted  the  evi- 
dence of  his  ears.  "Do  you  know  the  penalty  of  thus 
defying  me,  Major-General  Hardtack,  and  these  other 
members  of  the  grand  general  court-martial?  It  means 
that  you  will  be  immediately  condemned  to  suffer 
'kimbo.'" 

"And  what  is 'kimbo?'" 

"It  is  a  Greek  noun,  the  name  of  the  most  terrible  and 
soul-racking  punishment  known  to  military  life." 

"Then  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  suffer  'kimbo.' " 

"You  absolutely  refuse  to  name  any  of  the  parties  con- 
cerned in  this  disgraceful  and  brutal  affair  ?" 

"You  have  guessed  right." 

"And  that  in  the  face  of  the  most  terrible  punishment 
known  to  military  life?" 

"Right  again." 

"You  are  mad!" 

"Not  yet;  but  I  expect  to  be  when  I  get  kimbo," 
smiled  Frank  "Fm  a  trifle  unpleasant  when  I  get  mad." 


"Kimbo.'1  59 

Immediately  "Major-General  Hardtack,"  as  the  strap- 
ping fellow  had  called  himself,  made  a  signal  to  his 
companions,  and  a  double  circle  was  formed  entirely 
around  Frank.  Not  one  of  the  cadets  smiled,  but  all 
looked  as  if  they  were  participating  in  the  most  serious 
affair  possible. 

"Gentlemen  of  the  grand  general  court-martial,"  saici 
the  big  fellow,  "you  have  heard  the  words  of  this  in- 
truder, and  I  leave  it  to  you  to  state  how  he  shall  bf 
punished." 

As  one  person,  they  all  said : 

"'Kimbo!'" 

"Then  his  doom  is  sealed.  Bring  forth  the  implements 
of  torture/' 

Immediately  a  plug  of  very  black  chewing  tobacco  and 
a  cigarette  were  handed  to  "Major-General  Hardtack," 
who  received  them,  and  turning  to  Frank,  said : 

"You  will  first  be  expected  to  take  a  chew  of  tobacco, 
smoke  this  cigarette,  and  sing  a  comic  song,  all  at  the 
same  time.  That  is  the  first  stage  of  'kimbo.' " 

"But  I  never  smoked  a  dozen  cigarettes  in  my  life,  and 
it  makes  me  sick  to  chew  tobacco,"  protested  Frank. 

"I  warned  you  that  'kimbo'  is  the  most  terrible  punish- 
ment known  to  military  life,  and  this  is  but  the  first  de- 
gree. The  horrors  that  are  to  follow  will  make  you  re- 
gret that  you  ever  aspired  to  become  a  cadet  at  Fardale 
Academy.  Open  your  mouth,  sir,  and  proceed  to  gnaw 
off  a  generous  chew  of  this  tobacco.  In  the  meantime 
the  cigarette  will  be  lighted  for  you,  and  I  advise  you  tc 
be  thinking  of  a  song." 

Frank's  eyes  flashed.  He  looked  around  and  meas- 
ured the  strength  of  the  enemy,  and  it  began  to  look  as  i! 
he  must 


6o  st  Kimbo." 

At  this  moment,  however,  the  door  was  suddenly  flung 
open  from  the  outside,  and  the  excited  face  of  "Corporal 
Miles"  appeared. 

"Skip,  fellows — lively!"  he  hissed.  "There's  pink 
haze  on  the  luna !" 

Out  of  the  room  dusted  those  cadets  in  an  astonishing 
brief  space  of  time,  leaving  Frank  alone  and  rather 
dazed.  Then  he  heard  the  quick  tramp  of  feet,  and  the 
face  of  Lieutenant  Gordan  appeared  at  the  door. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

AN  INTERRUPTED  PICNIC 

-'Merriwell!" 

The  lieutenant  was  surprised,  and  his  face  showed  his 
displeasure, 

"How  does  this  happen?"  he  immediately  demanded, 
"How  is  it  I  find  you  here  ?" 

"Because  I  was  fool  enough  to  accept  an  invitation  to 
come  here,"  replied  the  boy,  frankly. 

"Who  gave  you  the  invitation?" 

"I  do  not  know  his  name." 

"A  cadet?" 

"Yes,  sir/' 

"Describe  him." 

Frank  hestitated. 

"I— I  hardly  think  I  can,"  he  stammered.  "In  fact, 
sir,  I  did  not  observe  him  very  closely." 

"Whom  did  you  meet  here  ?" 

"A  number  of  cadets." 

"You  would  be  able  to  identify  some  of  them  if  you 
saw  them  again?" 

"I  nr.ight  be  able  to,  but  I  would  not." 

A  queer  twinkle  showed  for  a  moment  in  Lieutenant 
Gordan's  eyes,  but  his  face  remained  as  grave  and  stern 
as  ever. 

"You  must  be  aware  that  the  cadets  have  perpetrated  a 
very  serious  offense  in  thus  bringing  a  person  who  is 
not  yet  a  student  at  this  academy  to  this  room,  which 
happens  to  be  unoccupied  at  the  present  time.  It  is  quite 


62  An  interrupted  Picnic. 

probable  that  they  did  not  have  the  friendliest  motive 
toward  you,  and  you  would  have  suffered  some  indignity 
if  I  had  not  scented  something  wrong.  I  was  just  a  mo- 
ment too  late  to  catch  any  of  them,  but,  if  you  choose, 
you  may  be  able  to  aid  me  in  identifying  the  offenders." 

"No,  sir;  I  cannot  do  it." 

"V^ry  well,"  said  Lieutenant  Gordan,  and  somehow 
Frank  fancied  there  was  a  ring  of  approval  in  his  voice. 
"Without  your  aid,  I  shall,  beyond  a  doubt,  be  unable  to 
do  anything  more  then  see  that  the  sentries  are  repri- 
manded. You  will  do  well  not  to  let  anything  of  this 
sort  occur  again.  I  will  now  see  that  you  get  out  of  the 
barracks  without  further  molestation." 

Frank  followed  the  lieutenant  from  the  room,  and  they 
proceeded  down  the  hall  past  the  rigid  sentries,  who 
saluted  punctiliously,  and  looked  as  innocent  as  lambs. 
Mr.  Gordan,  however,  made  them  all  uneasy  by  pausing 
to  note  down  the  name  of  each  one,  which  told  them 
there  was  trouble  ahead. 

The  lieutenant  escorted  Frank  from  the  building  and 
clear  of  the  grounds,  giving  him  some  very  good  advice 
at  parting. 

As  for  Frank,  he  felt  that  he  was  lucky  to  get  off  as 
well  as  he  had,  for  he  realized  that  he  had  permitted  him- 
self to  be  led  fairly  into  the  jaws  of  a  very  nasty  trap, 
for  which  he  blamed  himself  alone.  He  caught  himself 
wondering  what  would  have  followed  the  first  degree  of 
"kimbo"  if  he  had  been  forced  to  take  that  degree,  atnj 
he  shuddered  at  the  thought  of  trying  to  sing  a  song 
while  chewing  tobacco  and  smoking  a  cigarette. 

"Those  fellows  are  so  fierce  to  haze  somebody  that 
they  couldn't  wait  for  the  plebes  to  get  into  the  academy," 
muttered  Frank.  "But  I  wonder  why  they  chose  me? 


An  Interrupted  Picnic.  63 

Have  they  a  particular  grudge  against  me?  Have  they 
taken  a  dislike  to  me  as  soon  as  this?" 

He  did  not  know  it  was  because  they  had  really  take. 
a  liking  for  him,  and  wanted  to  see  what  kind  of  stuff 
he  was  made  of;  and  he  did  not  know  he  had  done  a  very 
proper  thing  in  failing  to  recognize  any  one  of  them  well 
enough  to  describe  him. 

Frank  decided  not  to  relate  to  the  fellows  at  Snodd's 
what  had  occurred.  He  felt  that  the  least  said  about 
the  matter  the  better. 

It  was  a  well-known  fact  that  as  soon  as  a  lad  became 
a  plebe  at  Fardale  Academy  he  was  destined  to  suffer 
hazing,  and  in  this  case  the  students  had  been  unable  to 
repress  their  intense  longing  to  "get  a  go"  at  one  of 
the  new  boys.  Having  become  prominent  through  his 
fight  with  Hodge,  Frank  was  chosen. 

Frank  did  not  know  what  result  came  of  Lieutenant 
Gordan's  investigations;  but  he  bore  no  grudge  against 
his  late  captors,  and  it  was  his  hope  that  they  might  get 
off  without  severe  punishment. 

The  following  day  Frank  was  notified  by  Miss  Snodd 
that  she  had  invited  several  girls  from  the  village  school 
to  spend  Saturday  afternoon  with  her  at  the  Cove,  where 
they  would  have  a  picnic,  with  Snodd's  boarders  as  rep- 
resentatives of  the  sterner  sex. 

Frank  promised  to  be  on  hand. 

Saturday  came,  and  a  dozen  laughing,  merry  girls 
came  with  it.  There  were  introductions  all  around,  and 
then  they  trooped  off  toward  the  Cove,  the  boys  carrying 
the  lunch  baskets,  a  tennis  and  an  archery  outfit,  with 
other  needed  things,  while  the  girls  flocked  on  in  advance, 
shattering  in  a  light-hearted  way. 

Among  them  all,  one  dark-haired,  red-lipped,  jolly  girl 


64  An  Interrupted  Picnic. 

had  instantly  attracted  Frank,  who  saw  in  her  an  ideal 
that  had  long  haunted  his  youthful  fancy.  At  first  it  al- 
most seemed  that  he  had  known  her  before,  but  on  hear- 
ing her  name  he  realized  that  this  was  their  first  meeting. 

For  a  moment  Inza  Burrage's  dark  eyes  had  looked 
straight  into  his  brown  orbs,  and  Frank  had  felt  his  heart 
leap  into  a  sort  of  fluttering  tumult  that  was  a  new  sensa- 
tion to  him,  although  he  had  left  a  little  sweetheart  at 
home,  one  whom  he  had  fancied  a  great  deal, 

Inza  was  a  jolly,  light-hearted,  unaffected  girl,  and, 
after  that  first  glance  she  seemed  to  pay  no  more  atten- 
tion to  Frank  than  she  did  to  any  of  the  other  boys  in  the 
party. 

Down  by  the  Cove  was  a  pretty  little  grove  close  to  a 
field  that  was  level  and  grassed  like  a  fine  lawn.  In  the 
grove  was  a  long  picnic  table,  with  plank  seats  around  it, 
and  on  the  field  near  by  the  archer's  target  was  set,  and 
the  tennis  court  lined  off. 

The  girls  spread  the  table  for  the  picnic,  decorating  it 
with  green  things  from  the  woods  and  the  wild  flowers  of 
late  spring-time  to  be  found  in  field  and  dell. 

The  boys  were  at  their  best,  and  Barney  Mulloy  bub- 
bled with  Irish  wit  till  he  was  repressed  by  Sam  Winslow, 
who  feared  the  girls  would  think  them  a  lot  of  silly  fools 
if  they  continued  to  laugh  so  much. 

Hodge  and  Merriwell  took  care  to  avoid  each  other, 
but  both  were  merry,  and  it  happened  that  both  were  at- 
tracted by  the  same  lodestone — Inza  Burrage.  And  so  it 
came  about  that,  unwittingly,  they  found  themselves 
thrown  much  into  each  other's  company. 

Hodge  was  a  handsome  fellow,  having  a  polished  man- 
ner, and  a  most  captivating  smile,  so  he  soon  became  a 


An  interrupted  Picnic.  65 

great  favorite  with  the  girls,  and  Frank  was  not  a  little 
chagrined  to  see  that  Inza  seemed  to  enjoy  his  company. 

Becoming  aware  of  Merriwell's  preference  for  the 
dark-haired  girl,  Hodge  redoubled  his  efforts  to  win  her 
favor,  and  his  heart  was  filled  with  triumph  when  he  saw 
that  he  was  succeeding. 

"I'll  show  that  fellow  that  he  doesn't  cut  any  ice  in  a 
case  like  this,"  thought  Bart. 

While  some  of  the  party  amused  themselves  at  archery, 
others  played  tennis,  or  sat  about  and  chatted. 

The  tennis  players  were  chosen  by  lot,  and  the  first 
four  happened  to  be  Merriwell,  Hodge,  Miss  Burrage 
and  Miss  Snodd.  And  then,  to  cap  Frank's  dismay, 
Hodge  secured  Miss  Burrage  as  a  partner. 

Frank  was  too  gentlemanly  to  show  his  chagrin,  and 
Hodge  was  far  too  shrewd  to  let  more  than  a  gleam  of 
triumph  appear  in  his  eyes.  I 

Inza  was  as  lithe  and  light  of  foot  as  a  fawn,  while 
Belinda  was  rather  buxom  and  heavy,  and  it  seemed  to 
Frank  that  Hodge  was  thoroughly  triumphant  for  the 
occasion. 

The  first  set  began  with  Inza  serving,  and  Belinda 
made  a  successful  return,  which  was  promptly  volleyed 
by  Bart,  who  succeeded  in  placing  a  smashing  drive 
where  Frank  could  not  handle  it,  and  his  soft  laugh  of  tri- 
umph brought  a  bit  of  blood  to  Merriwell's  cheeks. 

Now  it  happened  that  Frank  was  really  an  expert  at 
tennis,  and  this  first  "break"  came  through  his  own  dis- 
comfiture at  the  situation,  as  much  as  by  Hodge's  skill- 
ful return.  He  was  instantly  put  on  his  mettle,  and,  as 
the  game  progressed,  he  showed  that  he  was  thoroughly 
capable  of  taking  care  of  his  division  of  the  court, 


66  An  Interrupted  Picnic. 

But  Hodge  was  also  a  most  skillful  player,  and  the  two 
sides  were  not  fairly  matched,  as  Inza  was  much  more 
light  and  deft  than  Belinda,  so  Frank  and  his  companion 
were  getting  the  worst  of  it. 

Frank  could  feel  his  cheeks  burning  as  he  heard  the 
watching  girls  speaking  most  complimentary  of  Bart's 
beautiful  playing,  and  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty 
that  he  kept  from  losing  his  nerve  and  invading  his  part- 
ner's territory  on  occasions  when  he  felt  that  he  might 
successfully  return  a  stroke  that  she  was  almost  sure  to 
miss. 

Midway  in  the  game  came  a  startling  interruption. 

Tad  Jones  appeared  running  toward  the  party  waving 
his  hands  wildly,  while  he  screamed  something  that  they 
did  not  catch  at  first,  although  a  big,  four-legged  creature 
came  into  view  not  far  behind  the  boy,  apparently  in  hot 
pursuit. 

"Listen !"  cried  Frank.     "What  is  he  saying?" 

They  listened,  and  heard  him  shriek  huskily: 

"Run !  run !  run !    Mad  dog !    Mad  dog !" 


UiAPTER  X 

TERRIBLE 


"Mad  dog!" 

Some  of  the  boys  took  up  the  cry,  and  the  girls 
screamed. 

It  was  a  moment  of  great  excitement  and  confusion. 

Tad  Jones  was  running  for  his  life,  and  behind  him 
reeled  a  red-eyed,  foam-dripping  creature  that  was  terri- 
ble to  see. 

It  was  in  truth  a  mad  dog,  and  a  monster  at  that. 

"Run,  girls  —  run  !"  shouted  the  boys. 

Some  of  them  did  run,  and  some  seemed  paralyzed  with 
terror,  quite  unable  to  get  away. 

Inza  Burrage  started  to  flee  into  the  woods,  but  tripped 
and  fell  heavily  to  the  ground. 

"Oh,  I  have  sprained  my  ankle!"  she  cried,  her  face 
pale  with  pain  and  fear. 

Bart  Hodge  flung  aside  his  racket  and  started  precipi- 
tately for  the  shelter  of  the  woods. 

"Help  me,  Mr.  Hodge!"  called  Inza,  getting  upon  her 
feet,  but  falling  again  the  moment  she  tried  to  bear  her 
weight  upon  the  injured  ankle. 

Bart  did  not  seem  to  hear  the  cry,  for  he  kept  on,  un- 
mindful that  several  girls  were  cowering  together,  seem- 
ingly dazed  and  helpless. 

Belinda  Snodd  ran  like  a  deer,  and  quickly  vanished 
in  the  grove. 

Seeing  this,  Frank  sprang  to  the  side  of  Inza  Burrage. 
Without  a  word  he  caught  her  up  in  his  arms  and  ran 


68  A  Terrmie  Rattle. 

with  her  to  the  other  girls,  where  he  gently  placed  her  on 
the  ground. 

Then  he  was  seen  to  reach  into  his  pocket  and  produce 
a  stout  clasp-knife,  the  blade  of  which  he  quickly  opened. 

A  desperate  light  was  shining  in  his  eyes  as  he  faced 
toward  the  oncoming  boy  and  dog. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  ?"  panted  Inza.  "You  are 
not  going  to  fight  the  dog  ?" 

"Yes!" 

"He  will  kill  you!"  she  screamed.  "Remember  that 
one  scratch  from  his  teeth  means  sure  death  I" 

"I  know  that !" 

"Then  run— run !" 

"And  leave  you  and  these  girls  to  be  bitten  by  that 
beast!  Not  much!  Better  tih'at  he  should  bite  one  than 
a  dozen." 

If  ever  a  boy  looked  like  a  born  hero,  Frank  Merriwell 
did  at  that  moment 

Inza  Burrage  felt  herself  thrill  with  admiration,  for  all 
of  the  terrible  peril. 

"Run!"  shrieked  Tad  Jones,  once  more.  "Mad  dog! 
mad  dog!" 

Frank  caught  up  several  coats  which  the  boys  had  dis- 
carded, wrapping  them  swiftly  around  his  left  forearm  to 
the  elbow,  covering  his  hand  and  wrrst  with  many  thick- 
nesses. 

Tad  Jones  plunged  past,  and  the  terrible  dog  was  close 
upon  them. 

It  was  a  moment  of  such  peril  as  Frank  Merriwell  had 
never  known  before,  and  it  was  not  strange  that  his  face 
was  pale  as  marble ;  but  he  did  not  tremble,  and  his  nerves 
were  steady  as  though  made  of  steel. 


A  Terrible  Battle,  69 

His  eyes  were  fixed  on  the  snarling,  frothing,  fiery-eyed 
dog,  and  he  placed  himself  fairly  in  the  creature's  path. 

At  that  moment  he  murmured  something.  Perhaps  it 
was  a  prayer  for  strength. 

The  dog's  long  teeth  gleamed  through  the  white  foam 
that  flew  from  its  lips  and  covered  its  breast.  It  saw 
Frank,  and,  with  a  snapping  howl,  leaped  through  the  air 
straight  for  the  boy's  throat. 

Frank  put  up  his  muffled  left  arm,  and  the  creature's 
powerful  jaws  closed  upon  it,  seeming  to  crush  the  bone. 

It  was  with  no  little  difficulty  that  Frank  kept  from, 
going  down  before  the  shock  of  the  beast's  assault,  al- 
though he  had  braced  himself  to  withstand  the  force  of 
the  spring. 

However,  he  kept  on  his  feet,  and,  with  all  his  strength, 
he  drove  the  blade  of  the  knife  into  the  dog's  left  side, 
hoping  to  reach  the  creature's  heart. 

The  force  of  the  stab  caused  the  dog  to  release  its  hold, 
but  then  it  seemed  to  have  made  the  beast  fiercer  than 
before. 

Again  it  hurled  itself  at  the  boy's  throat,  and  again  its 
jaws  closed  on  that  muffled  arm. 

The  girls  were  screaming  now,  horrified  beyond  meas- 
ure at  the  spectacle  of  the  mad  battle  going  on  before 
their  eyes. 

Inza  Burrage  alone  seemed  silent.  She  was  not  con- 
scious of  any  pain  in  her  injured  ankle,  but  her  hands 
were  clasped  and  her  eyes  were  fastened  on  Frank  Merri- 
well. 

"What  a  brave,  noble  fellow  he  is!"  her  white  lips 
whispered.  "How  terrible  that  he  should  give  his  life  for 
us !  How  grand  !" 


70  A  Terrible  Battle, 

Frank's  jaws  were  set,  and  his  face  was  working  with 
emotions  that  controlled  him,  but  over  all  could  be  seen 
the  determination  to  keep  the  mad  dog  from  the  defense- 
less girls — to  kill  the  creature. 

Once — twice  the  dog  sent  him  staggering;  once  he 
dropped  to  his  knees,  and  it  seemed  that  he  would  fall 
prostrate  and  be  torn  by  those  deadly  teeth. 

The  muffling  coats  about  the  boy's  arm  were  rent  and 
hanging  in  rags,  and  his  arm  felt  as  if  the  dog's  teeth 
had  already  torn  the  flesh  to  the  bone. 

How  much  longer  could  he  hold  out?  Was  he  to  fail 
after  all  ?  Would  the  dog  leave  him  mangled  and  torn  to 
mangle  and  tear  the  helpless  girls  ? 

Where  were  the  other  fellows  ?  Why  didn't  they  come 
out  with  clubs  and  stones  and  beat  the  dog  to  death  ? 

He  was  beginning  to  stagger,  and  a  mist  drifted  before 
his  eyes,  while  a  feeling  of  unutterable  despair  came  over 
him. 

The  end  was  near ! 

Again  the  dog  leaped  at  his  throat,  and  he  scarcely  had 
energy  enough  to  protect  himself  with  his  muffled  arm. 

Once  more  he  struck  with  the  knife,  and  then  he  felt 
it  slip  from  his  fingers. 

He  was  helpless ! 

This  seemed  to  arouse  him  a  bit,  and,  with  all  his 
strength,  he  fastened  his  hand  upon  the  dog's  throat, 
clinging  there,  for  all  of  the  beast's  efforts  to  close  upon 
his  unmuffled  arm. 

Everything  was  swimming  about  him,  and  he  felt  that 
he  was  on  the  verge  of  falling  unconscious.  His  white 
lips  parted,  and  he  faintly  gasped  • 


A  Terrible  Battle.  71 

"Run,  girls !    I  can't— I  can't " 

Then  something  seemed  to  explode  in  his  brain  with  a 
crash,  and  he  dropped  senseless  to  the  ground,  still  cling- 
ing to  the  throat  of  the  dogn 


CHAPTER  XL 

IN   A  VAULT. 

The  great  crash  which  Frank  heard  was  the  report  of  £. 
gun,  and  the  muzzle  of  the  weapon  had  touched  the  dog's 
side  when  it  was  discharged. 

Boy  and  dog  dropped  to  the  ground,  and  neither  made 
an  effort  to  rise. 

"By  thunder!"  gasped  John  Snodd,  as  he  wiped  the 
sweat  from  his  forehead  with  his  coat  sleeve,  "By  thun- 
der !  I  ruther  think  I've  fixed  that  critter !" 

He  held  the  smoking  gun  in  his  hand ;  he  had  come  up 
during  the  last  few  moments  of  the  battle  between  the  boy 
and  dog. 

"Tad  came  to  warn  us,"  Mr.  Snodd  explained,  "an*  I 
sent  him  down  here,  while  I  went  to  git  my  gun.  While 
I  was  gittin'  my  gun,  the  darned  dog  skivered  past ;  but  I 
follered  as  soon  as  I  could,  an'  I  got  here  jest  in  time." 

"Is  he  dead?"  asked  Inza  Burrage. 

"Guess  he  is,  b'gosh  1"  nodded  Snodd.  "I  had  the  end 
of  the  gun  right  up  ag'inst  him  when  I  fired." 

"I  mean  Mr.  Merriwell,"  explained  the  girl.  '"'Oh,  he 
fought  so  nobly  to  save  us !  And  to  think  he  must  die 
from  hydrophobia !  It  is  frightful !" 

She  covered  her  face  with  her  hands  and  shuddered. 

Snodd  kicked  the  animal  to  make  sure  he  was  dead, 
and  then  he  tried  to  take  Frank's  fingers  from  the  crea- 
ture's throat,  which  proved  a  most  difficult  thing  to  do. 

"Reg'lar  death  grip,"  commented  the  man. 


in  a  Vault  73 

Some  of  the  boys  came  hurrying  out  of  the  woods 
armed  with  rocks  and  clubs,  and  all  looking  shamefaced. 

Bartley  Hodge  was  nearly  the  last  one  to  appear,  and 
even  he  did  not  look  pleased  when  he  saw  Frank  stretched 
on  the  ground,  white  and  motionless. 

"Has  the  dog  killed  Merriwell?"  he  asked. 

"If  he  hasn't,  Merriwell  has  nothing  to  thank  you  for !" 
came  scornfully  from  Inza  Burrage's  lips.  "You  all  ran 
and  left  him  to  fight  the  dog  alone." 

"I  ran  to  find  a  club,"  muttered  Bart.  "It  was  folly  to 
stay  and  let  the  dog  chew  one  up  without  any  weapon  to 
show  fight  with," 

"You  did  not  think  of  us — you  simply  thought  of  your- 
self. But  for  Frank  Merriwell,  we  might  all  of  us  have 
been  eaten  up.  He  is  a  brave,  noble  fellow,  and  the  rest 
of  you  are " 

She  stopped  short,  but  Barney  Mulloy  was  ready  to 
finish. 

" as  foine  a  set  av  firrust-class  cowards  as  Oi  ivver 

set  me  oies  on,  an'  it's  mesilf  thot's  wan  av  th'  same! 
Av  any  respectable  person  iwer  spakes  to  me  again,  Oi'll 
be  so  ashamed  av  thim  thot  Oi'll  cut  thim  dead,  so  Oi 
will." 

Snodd  was  examining  Frank,  and  he  now  said : 

"I  don't  seem  to  find  no  place  where  the  dog  has  bit 
this  feller.  The  stuff  he  had  wrapped  around  his  arm 
kept  the  critter  from  sockin'  its  teeth  in  there." 

"He  has  fainted  from  exhaustion,"  said  Ned  Gray, 
'Let's  make  a  stretcher  and  carry  him  to  the  house." 

"In  the  meantime,"  directed  Sam  Winslow,  "somebody 
scud  over  to  the  academy  for  Dr.  Brown." 

It  was  found  necessary  either  to  make  a  stretcher  for 
Inza  Burrage,  or  for  some  of  the  boys  to  carry  her  be- 


74  In  a  Vault. 

tween  them,  and  the  latter  course  was  decided  on.  Bart 
promptly  offered  his  services,  but  he  was  utterly  discom- 
fited when  the  injured  girl  selected  Ned  Gray  and  Ross 
Kent,  giving  him  a  look  that  plainly  expressed  her  utter 
contempt  for  him. 

In  the  midst  of  these  precautions,  Frank  stirred,  drew 
a  long,  deep  sigh,  and  opened  his  eyes. 

In  a  moment  Inza  managed  to  reach  him,  crying, 
sharply : 

"Water — somebody  bring  some  water  from  the  spring 
in  the  woods," 

The  water  was  quickly  brought,  and,  with  her  hand- 
kerchief, she  bathed  Frank's  face,  still  holding  his  head 
in  her  lap.  He  looked  up  at  her,  their  eyes  met,  and  he 
smiled  faintly,  and  said : 

"I  didn't  let  the  dog  bite  you,  did  I  ?" 

"You  saved  us  all,"  was  her  feeling  reply.  "It  was  so 
brave  and  noble  to  do  such  a  thing  for  us !" 

"For  you!"  he  whispered,  and  the  warm  color  came 
back  in  a  flood  to  her  face  and  neck. 

Bart  Hodge  saw  all  this..  His  hands  were  clenched, 
and  he  ground  his  teeth  with  rage  and  jealousy 

"It's  Merriwell's  luck !"  he  muttered.  "Anybody  could 
do  what  he  did  if  they  had  thought  of  it." 

It  is  the  thinking  of  the  right  thing  to  do  that  nine 
times  out  of  ten  makes  the  hero. 

Hodge  set  off  for  the  house,  intensely  disgusted  with 
everybody  and  everything. 

From  the  window  of  his  room,  some  time  later,  he 
saw  the  picnickers  approaching.  Gray  and  Kent  were 
carrying  Inza  Burrage,  while  Frank  was  walking  behind, 
surrounded  by  an  admiring  throng  of  boys  and  girls. 

"And  I   don't  believe  the  fellow   was  so  much  as 


In  a  Vault.  75 

scratched  by  that  dog!"  growled  Bart,  whose  Intense 
hatred  of  Frank  had  returned  with  redoubled  force. 

He  was  right.  Dr.  Brown,  from  the  academy,  had 
already  examined  Frank,  and  had  failed  to  find  the  slight- 
est abrasion  to  indicate  that  there  was  danger  that  the 
brave  boy  would  suffer  from  hydrophobia.  The  escape 
was  certainly  most  marvelous. 

Miss  Burrage  was  taken  home  in  a  carriage,  and  Frank 
had  so  far  recovered  as  to  drive. 

Bart  literally  gnashed  his  teeth  as  he  saw  them  depart, 
and  he  renewed  his  vows  of  vengeance  on  Merriwell. 

For  all  of  those  vows,  Hodge  seemed  to  shun  Frank 
during  the  days  that  followed  closely.  He  was  away  at 
'the  village  much  of  the  time,  and  he  did  not  mingle  with 
the  other  boys  at  Snodd's,  for  he  could  not  bear  to  see 
Merriwell  lionized. 

Frank  began  to  think  that  he  would  have  no  further 
trouble  with  Hodge. 

He  was  to  discover  his  mistake. 

It  was  the  day  before  the  examination  of  the  applicants 
for  admission  to  the  academy.  Frank  was  returning  to 
Snodd's  in  the  dusk  of  early  evening,  having  been  in  the 
village  for  the  mail,  and,  incidentally  to  get  a  glimpse  of 
Inza  Burrage  at  the  window  of  her  home  as  he  passed. 

Between  the  Cove  and  the  village  was  the  cemetery, 
and  Frank  was  passing  this  when  he  saw  a  figure  skip 
over  the  fence  and  disappear  amid  the  tombstones. 

Frank  did  not  believe  in  ghosts,  and  his  first  thought 
was  that  somebody  must  be  up  to  mischief. 

"I'll  try  to  follow  that  fellow,"  he  muttered,  and  over 
the  fence  he  went. 

He  soon  saw  a  dark  form  hurrying  forward  amid  the 
tombstones,  and,  with  great  caution,  he  followed. 


76  In  a  Vault 

Not  far  from  the  center  of  the  cemetery  was  a  large 
family  vault  of  stone,  and  near  this  the  person  Frank  was 
following  was  joined  by  some  one  else,  Here  they  stood, 
and  he  could  hear  them  talking  in  low  tones,  but  could 
not  distinguish  their  words. 

"I'll  get  nearer/3  was  his  reslove. 

Making  a  half-circle,  he  came  up  behind  the  vault  and 
crept  close  upon  the  unconscious  pair. 

Reaching  a  point  where  he  could  hear  them  plainly,  he 
was  surprised  to  recognize  the  voice  of  Hartley  Hodge. 

"I'll  pay  you  well  to  help  me  do  the  job,  Bascomb," 
Bart  was  saying. 

"First  pay  as  you  agreed  for  showing  you  a  place  to 
put  him  in,"  said  Hodge's  companion,  and  Frank  recog- 
nized the  voice  of  Hugh  Bascomb,  one  of  the  village  ap- 
plicants for  admission  to  the  academy. 

"All  right,"  agreed  Bart.     "Here's  the  money." 

"Now,"  spoke  Bascomb,  after  a  pause.  "You've  got 
the  key,  and  have  seen  the  place.  What  do  you  want  me 
to  do?" 

"Help  me,  as  I  said.  I  tackled  him  once  alone,  to  say 
nothing  of  our  fight.  I  heard  the  fellows  at  Snodd's 
planning  to  steal  cider  from  the  cellar,  and  I  swiped  a  lot 
after  they  had  carried  off  a  load.  Then  I  laid  for  Merri- 
well on  the  road,  jumped  on  him  when  he  came  along, 
gave  him  a  crack  on  the  head,  and  chloroformed  him. 
When  I  left  him  he  was  stretched  beside  the  road  with 
cider  spilled  over  his  clothes,  and  bottles  of  cider  scat- 
tered all  around.  Then  I  told  Snodd  I  had  seen  a  bur- 
glar sneak  out  of  the  cellar,  and  I  got  the  old  man  to  take 
a  gun  and  lantern  and  follow  me.  Of  course,  I  led  him 
to  Merriwell,  and  Snodd  thought  the  fellow  was  drunk. 
That  would  have  fixed  Merriwell  if  the  blooming  idiots 


In  a  Vault  77 

at  Snodd's  hadn't  stood  in  for  him  and  swore  they  would 
all  leave  if  he  was  fired  or  reported.  Snodd  gave  in,  and 
Merriwell  stayed;  but  he  doesn't  know  now  who  it  was 
that  put  up  the  job  on  him,  though  I  suppose  he  sus- 
pects." 

"You  are  mistaken,  Hodge,"  said  a  cool  voice.  "I 
know  all  about  it  now." 

Bart  gave  a  cry  of  astonishment  and  alarm  as  a  dark 
figure  stepped  around  the  vault  and  confronted  him. 

"Merriwell!" 

"Yes,"  said  Frank.  "And  I  must  thank  you  for  ex- 
plaining things  so  beautifully.  I  now  know  beyjond  a 
doubt  just  how  much  of  a  scoundrel  you  are." 

Hodge  seemed  to  recover  swiftly. 

"How  did  you  come  here  ?"  he  asked. 

"I  walked." 

"You  followed  me — you  played  the  spy!  Perhaps 
you'll  wish  you  hadn't !" 

Like  a  cat  he  leaped  forward  and  clutched  Frank,  cry- 
ing to  Bascomb: 

"Now's  our  time !     I'll  make  it  fifty !     Give  it  to  him !" 

Frank  made  one  sharp  effort  to  fling  Hodge  off,  and 
then  he  dropped  to  the  ground,  stunned  by  a  blow  deliv- 
ered by  Bascomb. 

"Quick!"  panted  Hbdge,  as  he  bent  over  the  fallen 
youth.  "Here's  the  key !  Open  the  door !" 

Bascomb  hesitated;  but  Bart  fluttered: 

"I'll  make  it  fifty,  and  our  word  is  as  good  as  his  when 
he  gets  out,  which  won't  be  till  it  is  too  late  to  pass  exam- 
ination. Open  the  door,  I  say!" 

The  huge  key  grated  in  the  rusty  lock,  the  bolt  slid 
back,  and  the  door  was  slowly  forced  open. 

Frank  realized  what  was  taking  place,  and  he  tried  to 


78  in  a  Vault, 

sit  up,  but  Hodge  forced  him  back,  pinning  him  to  the 
ground  with  one  knee,  as  he  hissed : 

"Now  give  me  a  hand  here,  and  in  he  goes !" 

The  dazed  boy  was  lifted  and  dragged  along  the 
ground  over  the  single  step  and  into  the  darkness  of  the 
chilly  vault,  where  he  was  unceremoniously  dropped  to 
the  ground, 

Then  he  heard  retreating  footsteps,  heard  the  heavy 
door  grate  on  its  unused  hinges,  heard  the  bolt  sHoot  into 
the  lock,  and  knew  he  was  a  prisoner, 

A  prisoner  in  a  cemetery  vault ! 


CHAPTER  XII. 

ON    HAND. 

Frank  struggled  to  his  feet  and  staggered  to  the  door, 
which  he  vainly  tried  to  open.  Then,  in  sudden  frenzy, 
he  beat  upon  it  with  his  bare  hands,  shouting  for  aid. 

The  sound  of  his  voice  seemed  to  stun  him,  and  he 
finally  became  silent,  exhausted. 

It  was  some  time  before  he  could  consider  the  matter 
calmly,  and  then  he  began  to  see  that  Hodge  had  played 
a  trump  card. 

"He  has  taken  the  trick,  and  won  the  game,"  muttered 
the  unfortunate  captive. 

But  the  fellow  was  a  greater  villain  than  Merriwell 
had  thought  possible. 

"He  means  to  keep  me  here  till  after  examination  .to- 
morrow— probably  till  the  next  day.  Who  will  believe 
my  story?  It  will  be  thought  that  I  did  not  have  the 
courage  to  appear  at  examination — that  I  hoped  to  get 
into  the  academy  without  being  examined.  Both  Hodge 
and  Bascomb  will  deny  having  seen  me  at  all,  and,  in 
such  a  case,  their  word  is  as  good  as  mine. 

"Oh,  I  am  done  for." 

Something  stirred  in  the  darkness,  sending  the  bloo^ 
rushing  icily  to  his  heart. 

It  was  an  uncanny  place,  and  he  could  but  think  ot 
corpses  and  ghosts. 

Again  something  stirred,  and  he  pressed  himself  back 
against  the  door,  a  choking  in  his  throat,  listening  with 
intense  horror. 


8o  On  Hand 

Squeak !  squeak !  squeak  I 

Rats !  A  new  horror  was  added  to  his  situation.  He 
knew  not  how  many  nor  how  bold  the  repulsive  little 
creatures  might  be.  Were  they  fierce  enough  to  attack 
him? 

Surely  the  situation  was  one  to  appall  the  stoutest 
heart. 


The  day  for  the  examination  of  applicants  for  admis- 
sion to  Fardale  Academy  arrived,  and  the  candidates  pre- 
sented themselves  at  the  academy. 

Under  the  eye  of  Professor  Gunn,  a  number  of  cadet 
officers  assigned  the  applicants  to  seats  and  set  them  at 
their  tasks. 

Lieutenant  Gordan  was  present,  and,  looking  the  can- 
didates over,  he  failed  to  see  the  face  of  Frank  Merri- 
well. 

".What  is  the  meaning  of  this  ?"  thought  the  lieutenant. 
"Why  isn't  Merriwell  on  hand  ?" 

Selecting  one  of  Snodd's  boarders,  he  asked : 

"Where  is  Merriwell  ?     He  isn't  here." 

It  happened  that  Bartley  Hodge  was  the  one  addressed, 
and  he  calmly  replied : 

"I  do  not  know  anything  about  Merriwell,  sir ;  have  not 
seen  him  in  the  last  two  days." 

Barney  Mulloy  heard  this,  and  looked  at  the  lieutenant 
as  if  he  had  something  to  say,  which  led  Gordan  to  ask 
him  if  he  knew  anything  of  Merriwell. 

"Av  ye  plaze,  sor,"  replied  Barney,  "he  wur  not  in  his 
room  larst  noight,  an'  not  wan  av  us  has  seen  anythin'  av 
him  this  day." 

"And  you  won't  be  likely  to  see  anything  of  him  this 


On  Hand.  81 

day,"  thought  Hodge,  exultantly.  "Merriwell's  goose  is 
cooked." 

And  then  a  gasp  that  was  almost  a  cry  of  amazement 
and  horror  came  from  his  lips. 

The  door  opened,  and  Frank  Merriwell  entered  the 
room  with  a  cadet  officer. 

Merriwell  was  neatly  and  tastefully  dressed,  appearing 
none  the  worse  for  his  confinement  in  the  cemetery  vault. 

Hodge  turned  pale  as  death,  and  shook  like  a  leaf  in  a 
strong  breeze,  while  Hugh  Bascomb  was  literally  para- 
lyzed with  amazement  and  dismay. 

Merriwell  had  escaped  from  the  vault  in  time  to  pre- 
sent himself  at  the  examination — but  how  ? 

Both  Hodge  and  Bascomb  expected  to  be  denounced 
without  delay,  but,  instead  of  that,  Frank  did  not  seem 
to  notice  them  at  all,  and  he  went  at  once  about  his  tasks. 

It  was  a  long  time  before  Bart  could  recover  suffi- 
ciently to  set  to  work  in  earnest  on  the  problems,  and 
when  he  finally  did  so  his  mind  would  stray  now  and 
then  to  speculating  on  the  matter  of  his  foe's  escape. 

The  applicants  were  given  two  hours  and  a  half  to 
v/ork  out  the  tasks.  Some  submitted  their  answers  long 
before  the  expiration  of  that  time,  and  some  were  stili 
sti'dying  over  them  perplexedly  or  sitting  in  blank  de- 
spair when  the  time  expired. 

Hodge  and  Bascomb  left  the  room  some  time  ahead  of 
Frank,  and  when  he  appeared  they  were  waiting  for  him. 

"Well,  Merriwell,"  said  Bart,  with  an  attempt  at  brav- 
ado, "I  see  you  got  out  in  time  to  show  up,  and  I  confess 
that  you  have  beaten  me.  But  what  are  you  going  to  do 
about  it  ?" 

"I  haven't  decided  yet,"  was  the  quiet  reply ;  "but  I  can 
break  you  both  at  this  school  if  I  choose." 


8a  On  Hand 

"I  don't  see  how.  Our  word  is  as  STOCK?  as  yours,  and 
you  have  no  proof  beyond  your  own  statement " 

"That's  where  you  make  a  mistake,  for  I  have  proof. 
j  happens  that  you  were  seen  to  drag  me  into  the  vault 
a  rd  lock  me  in  there.  The  person  who  saw  you  do  this 
was  the  one  who  released  me,  and,  if  I  bring  him  forward 
to  testify  against  you,  your  chance  of  getting  into  the 
academy  will  be  slim." 

Hodge  and  Bascomb  exchanged  glances.  They  real- 
ized that  Merriwell  had  them  at  his  mercy,  and  both 
weakened. 

"I  say,  old  man,"  said  Bart,  appealingly,  "let's  drop  it 
— let's  call  bygones,  bygones,  as  the  saying  is.  If  you 
blow  on  me  and  I  am  stopped  from  getting  into  the 
academy,  it  will  be  a  dreadful  blow  to  my  mother.  I  con- 
fess that  I  have  used  you  dirty,  and  I  am  ashamed  of  it. 
I  ask  you  now  to  forgive  me." 

"Same  here,"  said  Bascomb,  although  the  words 
plainly  cost  him  a  great  effort. 

Frank  was  not  maliciously  revengeful,  and  so  he  said : 

"You  both  deserve  a  square  licking,  and  it  would 
please  me  to  give  you  what  you  deserve;  but  I'll  agree 
not  to -spoil  your  chances  by  blowing — that  is,  not  for  the 
present.  We'll  see  how  you  handle  yourselves  in  the  fu- 
ture." 

Hodge  and  Bascomb  both  thanked  him,  and  he  left 
them. 

"That  fellow  is  dangerous,"  said  Bascomb. 

"You  are  right,"  nodded  Hodge.  "He  knows  too 
much  for  our  peace  of  mind.  But  what  are  we  going 
to  do  about  it?" 

"We  may  be  able  to  do  something  in  the  future,"  was 


On  Hand  83 

the  significant  reply.    "There  will  be  hot  times  in  this 
academy  if  all  three  of  us  get  in." 
"You  bet!" 
******** 

The  following  day  the  alphabetical  list  of  the  admitted 
applicants  was  read,  and  in  turn  came  Bascomb,  Hodge, 
and  Merriwell.  A  few  had  failed  to  pass  the  examination, 
but  Barney  Mulloy,  Ned  Gray,  Sam  Winslow,  and  Ross 
Kent  were  on  the  "pass"  list. 

Tad  Jones  was  on  hand  to  congratulate  Frank  at  the 
first  opportunity,  but  he  Declared. 

"You  was  just  dead  slow  to  let  Hodare  and  Bascomb 
in.  I  knew  Bart  Hodge  was  up  to  something,  and  I'd 
been  follering  him  for  two  days  ^iien  I  heard  him  and 
Bascomb  agree  to  meet  at  the  vault.  1  don't  like  grave- 
yards much,  hr*  T  thouerht  T'<5  be  there,  and  I  was, 
which  was  a  mv.l<}  thing  to,  vou,  else  you'd  never 
showed  up  at  examination. 

"That's  right,  Ted,"  admitt**)  frank.  £I  owe  you  a 
big  debt.  But  I  couldn't  quite  bring  xnyseli  to  expose 
those  fellows,  for  it  might  have  been  the  very  thing  that 
would  have  gfiven  them  a  bad  turn  in  life  I  like  a  joke 
myself.  This  was  rather  serious,  but  perhaps  they  will 
let  me  alone  after  this." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

STILL  ENEMIES. 

"I  tell  you  I  won't  stand  itP 

"Thin  sit  down,  me  b'y — sit  down." 

"You  will  have  to  stand  it,  Hodge,  if  you  stay  in  Far- 
dale  Academy." 

The  fourth  person  in  the  room,  Frank  Merriwell,  who 
was  dusting  the  mantle,  did  not  say  anything;  but  there 
was  a  twinkle  of  merriment  in  his  eyes,  as  he  glanced 
toward  the  wrathful  boy  who  was  tramping  furiously  up 
and  down,  and  beating  the  air  with  his  clenched  fists. 

"What  are  you  grinning  about,  Merriwell?"  snarled 
the  angry  youth,  wheeling  fiercely  around. 

"Beg  pardon,  Hodge,"  said  Frank,  quietly.  "Didn't 
know  I  grinned." 

"Well,  you  did!"  snarled  Bartley  Hodge,  tossing  his 
head,  as  if  to  throw  back  his  curly  black  hair;  "you 
grinned  like  a  monkey." 

"Unconscious  imitation  av  what  he  was  lookin*  at," 
muttered  Barney  Mulloy. 

"What's  that?"  snapped  the  irritated  Hodge,  turning 
on  the  Irish  youth.  "What  did  you  say,  Mulloy?" 

"Niwer  a  wurrud  to  yez,  me  laddy-buck.  If  s  nu 
breath  Oi  wouldn't  be  afther  wastin'  on  sich." 

"I  think  you  are  all  against  me !"  cried  Hodge,  accus- 
ingly. 

"You  should  know  better  than  that,"  said  Ned  Gray, 
with  an  air  of  protest.  "We  are  not  against  you,  but  we 


Still  Enemies.  85 

know  it  is  folly  to  say  we  won't  be  hazed  and  we  won't 
be  domineered  over  by  the  yearlings.  If  you  stay  here, 
you  will  have  to  take  your  medicine  with  the  rest  of  us." 

"The  prospectus  of  this  academy  stated  there  was  no 
such  thing  as  hazing  known  here.  That's  why  father 
sent  me  here.  I  want  you  to  know  I  have  been  to  mili- 
tary schools  before  I  ever  saw  Fardale,  and " 

"Whoy  didn't  yez  stay?  Ye'd  niwer  been  missed 
here!" 

"What's  that,  Mulloy?" 

"Niwer  a  wurrud.'* 

"Well,  you  want  to  quit  that  muttering  when  I  am 
talking.  I  don't  like  it." 

"Thin  yez  may  do  th'  nixt  thing,  me  hearty,"  said  the 
Irish  lad,  who  seemed  looking  for  trouble. 

"Steady,  fellows !"  warned  Ned  Gray.  "Don't  quarrel. 
We'll  have  trouble  enough  from  the  outside,  without 
getting  into  a  growl  among  ourselves." 

"They've  no  right  to  herd  us  up  this  way,  four  in  a 
room,"  protested  Hodge.  "My  father  is  a  rich  man,  and 
he  will  pay " 

"It's  only  temporary,  till  we  get  our  uniforms  and  are 
assigned  to  our  companies,"  assured  peaceful  Ned.  "You 
ought  to  be  able  to  stand  it  a  little  while,  Hodge." 

"I  might,  if  it  wasn't  for " 

He  stopped  and  looked  at  Merriwell.  That  look  was 
more  expressive  than  words,  and  it  was  well  understood. 

Bart  Hodge  said  he  had  "buried  the  hatchet,"  but 
Frank  knew  that  behind  Bart's  expressed  desire  to  let 
bygones  be  bygones  there  was  lurking  a  secret  feeling 
of  malice  that  was  destined  to  break  out  at  any  moment 


86  Still  Enemies. 

Merriwell  looked  up  as  Bart  paused,  and  his  face  grew 
very  grave. 

"Why  don't  you  say  it,  Hodge?"  he  asked.  "Of 
course  we  all  know  what  you  mean." 

Hodge  tossed  his  head  again. 

"Then  there  is  no  need  to  say  it  among  such  knowing 
fellows,"  he  sneered. 

Frank  put  down  the  duster. 

"Look  here,  Hodge,"  he  said,  "I  thought  we  had  called 
it  quits.  Are  you  going  to  revive  the  feud?" 

"I  don't  suppose  you  fancied  you  and  I  could  ever  be 
friends,  did  you,  Merriwell?" 

"I  don't  ask  your  friendship — I  don't  want  it  All  I 
want  to  know  is  if  we  are  to  be  foes." 

"I  am  a  fellow  who  always  pays  his  debts." 

"And  that  means — just  what?" 

"I  owe  you  something." 

"Then  we  are  still  enemies?" 

"Yes.  There,  it  is  out !  I'm  not  going  to  try  to  play 
the  hypocrite  any  longer.  I  don't  like  you,  Merriwell — 
in  fact,  I  hate  you !  I  can't  help  it,  for  I  am  one  of  the 
kind  that  never  forgives  nor  forgets.  You  have  injured 
me  in  ways  I  will  not  mention,  and  I  am  going  to  get 
even,  if  I  live  long  enough.  That's  business." 

Frank  Merriwell's  eyes  were  blazing. 

"And  you  never  made  any  attempt  to  injure  me — oh, 
no !"  he  cried,  with  just  indignation.  "And  is  it  possible 
that  you  imagine  I  have  no  score  to  settle  with  you,  in 
case  you  revive  the  feud?" 

Hodge  snapped  his  fingers  contemptuously. 

"That  for  you  and  your  score!     I'll  settle  my  own 


Still  Enemies.  87 

account.  I've  not  forgotten  how  you  got  the  best  of  me 
by  foul  and  contemptible  trickery  in  the  fight  in  Chad- 
wick's  pasture,  and " 

Frank  was  now  thoroughly  aroused. 

"If  you  accuse  me  of  foul  play  in  that  case,  Hodge, 
you  are  speaking  words  you  know  to  be  a  lie!"  he  said, 
holding  his  voice  steady  as  far  as  possible. 

Bart  started  forward,  his  fists  clenched,  his  dark  face 
working  with  passion. 

"Do  you  call  me  a  liar?"  he  hissed— -"do  you  dare?" 

"You  heard  what  I  said." 

Quick  as  a  flash,  Hodge  caught  up  a  chair  and  swung 
it  over  his  head. 

"Drop  it,  ye  spalpane!"  shouted  Barney  Mulloy,  try- 
ing to  catch  the  chair. 

"I'll  drop  it— on  his  head !"  grated  Bart. 

Whizz!  the  chair  flew  through  the  air.  Crash!  it 
struck  the  mirror,  which  was  shattered  to  pieces,  torn 
from  its  place,  and  fell  to  the  floor. 

Frank  had  dodged  the  chair. 

Bartley  might  have  followed  up  the  attack,  but  the 
sound  of  quickly  moving  feet  was  heard  in  the  corridor. 

In  a  twinkling  the  four  fellows  faced  the  center  of  the 
room,  heads  up,  heels  together,  eyes  front,  arms  against 
the  sides. 

Open  swung  the  door,  and  in  strode  Cadet  Corporal 
Burrage,  his  blue  coat  fitting  perfectly,  with  no  trace  of 
a  wrinkle  anywhere,  collar,  cuffs,  and  trousers  spotless 
and  dainty,  buttons  gleaming,  and  chevrons  traced  like 
pure  gold  on  his  sleeves. 

His  face  wore  a  look  that  was  stern,  dignified  and  awe- 
inspiring.  His  manner  was  crushingly  superior. 


88  Still  Enemies. 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  all  this  noise  here?"  he  de- 
manded, sharply.  "Why  is  that  chair  overturned  and  the 
glass  broken?" 

No  answer.  It  was  Hodge's  place  to  speak,  but  he  re- 
mained silent. 

Corporal  Burrage  pressed  his  lips  together,  and  an 
angry  light  came  into  his  eyes. 

"Speak  up,  young  gentlemen,"  he  commanded,  ma- 
jestically. "Who  was  near  that  mirror  when  it  was  bro- 
ken?" 

"I  was,  sir,"  said  Frank  Merriwell. 

"What  were  you  doing?" 

"Dusting,  sir." 

"And  broke  the  mirror  by  reprehensible  carelessness. 
Report  to  Lieutenant  Swift,  room  40,  immediately  after 
supper,  sir.  You  must  be  taught  the  importance  of  care- 
fulness and  moderation.  Carelessness  is  not  tolerated  in 
this  academy,  sir,  as  you  will  find  out." 

Then  Cadet  Corporal  Burrage  moved  with  great  dig- 
nity from  the  room,  leaving  the  four  lads  to  stare  at  each 
other  in  silence  some  moments.  Ned  Gray  was  the  first 
to  speak. 

"Why  didn't  you  tell  him  you  broke  the  mirror, 
Hodge?"  he  demanded,  sharply.  "Why  did  you  keep 
still,  and  let  him  presume  it  was  Merriwell  ?" 

"Because  he  had  no  right  to  ask,  the  contemptible  little 
puppy !"  fiercely  retorted  Bart.  "Didn't  I  say  a  few  mo- 
ments ago  that  I  would  not  be  domineered  over  by  those 
upstarts  1" 

"But  you  left  Merriwell  in  a  bad  scrape  by  keeping 
still." 


Still  Enemies.  89 


"Why  didn't  Merriwell  speak  up 

"Because  he  has  more  honor  in  his  little  finger  thin  ye 
have  in  yer  whole  body,  ye  spalpane!"  cried  Barney. 
"He'd  nivver  blow  on  yez,  av  ye  didn't  have  th'  dacency 
to  spake,  thot's  th'  koind  av  a  b'y  he  is." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A     MYSTERIOUS     CAT. 

After  supper,  having  reported  at  room  40,  new  Cadet 
Merriwell  was  ordered  to  walk  post  in  the  hall  till  tattoo. 
He  was  but  one  of  a  number  of  offenders  who  were  sen- 
tenced to  similar  punishment  by  Cadet  Lieutenant  Swift, 
who  sat  in  judgment. 

He  submitted  gracefully  to  the  unavoidable,  and  was 
soon  pacing  up  and  down  the  hall,  with  his  little  fingers 
touching  the  seams  of  his  trousers  and  his  palms  turned 
outward. 

Among  the  other  unfortunates  Frank  observed  a 
round-faced,  jolly-looking  Dutch  lad,  who  seemed  to  con- 
sider the  whole  matter  a  huge  joke,  and  who  winked  at 
Merriwell  every  time  they  met  on  their  respective  posts. 

"You  shust  vait  till  I  geds  me  to  pe  a  lieutenant,"  he 
said,  guardedly,  to  Frank.  "You  pet  me  your  life  I  vill 
make  some  son  uf  a  gun  valk  der  soles  off  his  shoes  to 
ged  me  efen  mit  dis.  Dot's  der  kindt  uf  a  hairbin  Hans 
Dunnerwust  vos,  und  don'd  you  verged  him." 

Frank  made  no  reply,  for  he  had  received  strict  orders 
to  converse  with  no  one,  unless  it  should  be  in  the  line 
of  duty.  At  the  same  time,  he  saw  there  was  a  fountain 
of  fun  in  Hans  Dunnerwust,  and,  being  of  a  mischievous 
temperament,  Frank  resolved  to  have  some  sport  with  tht 
Dutch  lad. 

A  few  moments  later  Hartley  Hodge  and  Hugh  Bas- 
comb  passed  arm  in  arm  through  the  hall. 


A  Mysterious  Cat.  91 

"I  say,  Bart,  old  man,"  said  Bascomb,  with  a  con- 
temptuous glance  at  Frank,  "observe  his  royal  highness." 

"Oh,  don't  bother  me  with  such  things,"  sneered  Bart. 
''They're  beneath  my  notice." 

The  two  fellows  sauntered  on,  after  waiting  in  vain 
for  Frank  to  make  some  angry  observation,  which  they 
would  have  reported  as  a  breach  of  discipline. 

Frank  could  feel  his  cheeks  burning  hotly,  but  he  kept 
silent. 

"My  turn  will  come/'  he  thought. 

This  little  incident  drove  all  thought  of  sport  out  of 
his  head  for  the  time,  but  he  was  soon  forced  to  smile 
guardedly,  as  he  saw  Hans  Dunnerwust  come  marching 
down  the  hall  in  an  extravagant  attitude  of  dignity. 

Frank  was  a  skillful  ventriloquist,  and  so,  making  his 
voice  seem  to  come  from  the  far  end  of  the  hall,  he 
cried : 

"Halt!" 

Hans  stopped  promptly. 

"Right  about  face." 

"Veil,  I  know  dot,"  said  the  Dutch  lad.  "I  vas  alvays 
all  righd  apout  mine  face." 

"Carry  arms,"  came  the  mysterious  voice. 

"Yaw,"  nodded  Hans,  "I  carry  a  pair  uf  arms :  but  I 
don'd  vas  any  museum  freak — I  don'd  haf  more  than  a 
pair." 

"Order  arms !" 

"Hey?  Vot  you  mean  py  him?  I  don'd  vant  some 
wooden  arms  yed  vile  I  haf  dwo  or  dree  uf  mine  own. 
I  don'd  orter  no  arms,  you  pet  my  poots." 

"At  place,  rest." 

"Dank  you.  I  vos  geddin*  a  leedle  bit  tired  akttty 
yet" 


92  A  Mysterious  Cat. 

Hans  promptly  sat  down  on  the  floor  and  leaned  Back 
against  the  wall.  He  looked  around  to  see  who  had 
given  the  orders,  and  an  expression  of  puzzled  astonish- 
ment crept  over  his  face,  for  there  was  no  one  at  the  end 
of  the  hall  from  whence  that  voice  seemed  to  proceed. 

"Dot  vos  funny,"  he  muttered.  "Dot  veller  must  haf 
shkipped  right  avay  off.  Maype  dot  vas  bardt  uf  der 
deecerbleen  uf  dis  school.  Veil,  nopody  don'd  haf  to  dell 
me  to  sid  down  dwice  ven  I  am  dired  und  vant  a  rest." 

Down  the  hall  came  Corporal  Burrage  on  a  tour  of 
inspection.  His  eyes  fell  on  Hans,  and,  in  a  voice  of 
thunder,  he  demanded : 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  this,  sir?    Attention!" 

"Yaw,"  nodded  the  Dutch  boy,  without  rising.  "I  gif 
you  all  der  addention  you  vant.  Uf  you  had  anyding  to 
say,  say  him." 

"Get  up!"  cried  Corporal  Burrage,  resolved  to  speak 
in  a  language  Hans  could  not  misunderstand.  "What 
is  the  meaning  of  this?" 

"Veil,  I  don'd  know,"  was  the  innocent  reply.  "Maype 
you  dell  me  vat  all  dis  row  you  make  apout." 

"How  happens  it  that  I  find  you  in  such  a  position, 
sir?  What  do  you  mean  by  sitting  down  while  walking 
post?" 

"Veil,  ven  I  come  to  dis  agademy  I  make  up  mine 
mindt  dot  I  opey  der  orters  uf  I  pust  a  susbender-putton 
off  ven  I  do  him.  Dot  vas  der  madder  mit  me." 

"Obey  orders?  What  do  you  mean  by  that?  You 
were  ordered  to  walk  post  till  tattoo." 

"I  don'd  vant  some  tattoo  on  me.  I  don'd  peen  nc 
museum  freak  pimepy  yet  avile  alretty." 

"Why  didn't  I  find  you  walking  post,  as  ordered  ?" 


A  Mysterious  Cat.  93 

"Dot  odder  veller  dells  me  to  dake  a  rest." 

"What  other  fellow?" 

"I  dunno.  I  don'd  see  him  some  ad  all ;  but  he  come 
und  gif  der  orters  shoost  a  liddle  vile  ago  pimepy." 

Corporal  Burrage  began  to  understand. 

"Somebody  has  been  playing  a  practical  joke  on  you," 
he  said.  "You  should  beware." 

"Be  vare?"  asked  Hans,  innocently.  "I'll  be  anyvare 
you  say." 

"Beware  of  these  jokers.  They  will  get  you  into  trou- 
ble. Do  not  take  orders  from  any  one  unless  you  see 
him.  That's  all.  You  may  continue  to  walk  post." 

"Say!" 

Corporal  Burrage  had  started  to  walk  onward;  he 
whirled  as  if  he  had  been  shot. 

"Sir-r-rah !"  he  thundered.  "Never  address  a  superior 
officer  in  such  a  manner  again !  Never  address  any  one 
in  this  academy  in  such  a  manner.  Always  say  'sir.' 
Understand?" 

"Yaw,"  stammered  Hans. 

"Yes,  sir ;  not  'yaw.'     Say  'Yes,  sir.'  " 

Hans  tried  to  obey  the  order,  and  succeeded  fairly  well. 

"Now,"  said  Corporal  Burrage,  "what  is  it  you  want 
to  say?" 

"Vere  ish  dot  bost  vat  you  vant  me  to  valk?  I  had 
looked  vor  him  afryvere,  und  I  don'd  vind  him  much 
alretty." 

"Well,  you  keep  right  on  looking." 

Burrage  was  about  to  turn  away  again,  when  a  sudden 
look  of  suspicion  came  to  his  face.  He  listened  atten- 
tively. 

"Me-e-eow !" 

The  sound  was  faint  and  muffled.    Burrage  could  not 


94  A  Mysterious  Cat 

tell  from  whence  it  came,  but  he  scented  mischief.  A 
cat  in  barracks  meant  that  some  joker  had  been  at  work 
The  animal  must  be  found. 

"Me-e-eow !" 

Burrage  looked  all  around,  and  Hans  Dunnerwust  did 
likewise. 

"Did  you  hear  it?"  asked  the  cadet  corporal. 

"You  pet  me  your  shirt !"  assured  Hans. 

"Where  did  it  come  from?" 

"Veil,  I  don'd  know  dot  alretty  yet" 

"Me-ee-ow !" 

Burrage  looked  at  Hans  suspiciously,  for  the  sound 
seemed  to  come  from  somewhere  about  the  Dutch  lad's 
person. 

"You  don't  carry  cats  rownd  in  your  pockets,  do  you, 
Dunnerwust?"  asked  the  corporal. 

"I  don'd  peen  in  der  habit  uf  dot  some,"  was  the  as- 
surance. 

Then  Hans  gave  a  jump  and  a  gasp,  as  a  feline  wail 
seemed  to  issue  from  beneath  his  vest.  He  turned  pale, 
and  clasped  both  hands  on  his  stomach. 

A  look  of  astonishment  and  anger  settled  swiftly  on 
Burrage's  face. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  this,  sir?"  he  cried.  "Produce 
that  cat  instantly." 

Up  went  Han's  hand  under  his  vest,  but  he  felt  round 
in  vain  for  the  cat. 

"I  don'd  find  him,"  he  said,  weakly,  perspiration  be- 
ginning to  start  out  on  his  fat  face. 

"Me-e-ow !    Sp't  sp't !    Me-e-e-ye-e-ow !" 

The  final  howl  of  agony  was  so  long  drawn  and  so 
intense  that  it  nearly  frightened  the  Dutch  lad  out  of  his 


A  Mysterious  Cat  95 

wits.  He  jerked  his  hand  from  beneath  his  vest,  as  if 
;t  had  touched  something  red-hot,  giving  Burrage  the 
:mpression  that  it  had  been  bitten  by  the  cat. 

"Shimminy  Gristmas!"  gurgled  Hans,  shaking  with 
terror.  "Vot  vos  der  madder  mit  dot  plamed  cat?'* 

"Something  will  be  the  matter  with  you  immediately, 
sir,  if  you  do  not  produce  that  animal/'  said  Burrage. 
"You  are  liable  to  find  yourself  lodged  in  the  guard- 
house." 

"I  don'd  peen  aple  to  find  dot  cat,"  honestly  declared 
Hans.  "I  gif  you  fife  todlars  uf  you  find  him  alretty  soon 
for  me." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  bringing  a  cat  in  here?" 

"I  nefer  done  him.    Dot  vas  a  misdake." 

"A  serious  one  for  you.      You  will " 

"Ye-e-a-a-ow !    Me-e-e-a-a-ow !" 

Hans  staggered  backward,  caught  his  heel,  and  sat 
down  heavily  on  the  floor.  His  fall  was  followed  by  a 
smothered  howl  that  was  positively  appalling  in  its  intense 
agony. 

"Get  up !"  cried  Burrage.  "You  have  sat  on  that  cat ! 
You  have  crushed  it  to  death !" 

"Veil,  I  don'd  know  how  dot  cat  got  in  dot  bart  uf  mine 
clothes,"  gasped  the  Dutch  boy. 

Another  howl  brought  him  to  his  feet. 

"Oxcuse  me!"  he  shouted.  "I  vas  goin'  to  shange  ais 
suit  bretty  soon  alretty,,  I'll  pe  back  ven  I  find  der  cat." 

In  his  confusion  he  made  a  rush  for  the  stairs,  unmind- 
ful that  his  room  did  not  lie  in  that  direction,  and  without 
heeding  Burrage's  orders  to  halt.  As  he  reached  the 
head  of  the  stairs,  he  ran  plump  into  Professor  Gunn, 
who  was  just  coming  up. 


96  A  Mysterious  Cat. 

Down  the  stairs,  bumpety-bump,  bumpety-bump,  slid 
the  professor  on  his  back,  with  the  Dutch  boy  seated 
securely  astride  his  stomach,  and  clinging1  with  both 
hands  to  the  professor's  hair,  which  was  long-  and  lux* 
'iriant. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

FURTHER      TROUBLE. 

"Shimminy  Gristmas!"  gurgled  Hans  Dunnerwusu 
"I  vas  kilt  alretty  yet !" 

Bump !  they  struck  at  the  bottom  of  the  stairs. 

"Murder!  Robbers!"  howled  the  professor,  clinging 
to  Hans,  with  the  idea  in  his  dazed  brain  that  he  had 
been  murderously  assaulted. 

"Preak  avay !"  squawked  the  Dutch  boy,  trying  to  get 
up. 

Over  they  rolled  upon  the  floor. 

"Villain!"  gasped  the  professor;  "y°u  shall  not  es- 
cape !" 

In  his  excitement,  he  struck  Hans  a  heavy  blow  in  the 
left  eye. 

The  boy  had  not  recognized  the  professor,  and  this  was 
quite  enough  to  arouse  him  to  resentment. 

"Veil,  I  pet  you  your  life  I  know  a  little  someding 
about  dot  peesness  mineseluf !"  he  shouted,  as  he  struck 
out  in  return.  "I  don'd  peen  no  Shim  Gorbett,  put  some- 
dimes  I  get  dere  shust  der  same,  an't  it !" 

In  another  moment  they  were  fighting  furiously  at  the 
foot  of  the  stairs,  and  the  cadets,  who  had  been  attracted 
by  the  uproar,  began  to  gather  around. 

"Go  it,  Old  Gunn !"  shouted  some  one,  under  cover  ot 
the  excitement.  "Show  your  stuff!" 

"Baste  him,  Dutchy!"  cried  another.  "I'll  back  you 
for  a  winner!" 

The  battle  might  have  continued  some  time,  but  the 


98  Further  Trouble. 

older  cadets  interfered  and  dragged  the  two  apart.  Hans 
and  the  professor  sat  up  and  looked  at  each  other.  Hans 
clasped  a  hand  over  one  eye,  while  the  professor  clasped 
both  hands  to  his  nose.  They  appeared  somewhat  bat- 
tered and  the  worse  for  wear,  and  they  presented  a  comi- 
cal spectacle  as  they  sat  there  staring  at  each  other.  It 
was  not  strange  that  the  boys  roared  with  laughter,  in 
spite  of  the  boasted  discipline  of  Fardale  Academy,  and 
then,  realizing  they  were  in  danger  of  severe  punishment, 
most  of  them  scudded  away,  while  the  others  pretended 
to  be  very  solicitous  over  the  professor's  misfortune. 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  all  th.s  may  I  inquire  ?"  came 
weakly  from  Professor  Zenas  Gui?n,  who  glared  at  Hans. 
"Why  am  I  assaulted  in  this  murderous  manner?  Is  it 
a  plot  to  assassinate  me?" 

"Veil,  I  dunno,"  muttered  Hans,  still  dazed.  "I  feel 
like  I  hat  sdruck  a  cyglone  pretty  soon  alretty  yet." 

Corporal  Burrage  was  on  hand,  and  he  offered  an  ex- 
planation, to  which  Professor  Gunn  tried  to  listen  with 
dignity,  although  he  must  have  been  fully  aware  that  he 
presented  a  ludicrous  and  woe-begone  appearance. 

Frank  Merriwell  had  been  startled  by  the  result  of  his 
joking,  and  he  feared  that  he  had  gotten  Hans  into  a 
serious  scrape ;  but  he  hoped  leniency  would  be  shown  the 
Dutch  boy,  so  he  might  get  off  with  slight  punishment, 
if  any. 

Realizing  that  his  ventriloquial  powers  might  provide 
amusement  for  him  in  the  future  or  stand  him  in  good 
stead  in  some  way,  Merriwell  did  not  wish  to  confess  the 
truth,  which  he  might  otherwise  have  done  had  there 
been  any  danger  that  some  one  would  have  to  suffer  for 
anything  for  which  he  was  responsible. 


Further  Trouble,  99 

Frank  remained  in  the  hall  above,  walking  post  as  if 
nothing  had  occurred. 

Below,  the  cadets  were  dispersed,  and  Hans  was 
marched  away,  with  the  professor  in  advance  and  several 
cadet  officers  at  his  heels.  The  mysterious  cat  had  not 
appeared,  and  Corporal  Burrage  presumed  the  creature 
had  escaped  from  Hans  and  fled  when  the  boy  and  the 
professor  tobogganed  down  the  stairs. 

Frank  had  succeeded  in  breaking  the  monotony  of 
walking  post,  and  he  now  continued  tramping  up  and 
down  in  silence,  hearing  the  subdued  strains  of  the 
band  that  was  playing  somewhere  on  the  grounds  outside. 

Thus  the  entire  evening  till  tattoo  was  spent. 

On  entering  his  room,  Frank  found  three  very  excited 
boys  holding  an  excited  discussion.  He  first  heard  Bart- 
ley  Hodge  loudly  declaring : 

"If  there  is  an  attempt  made  to  haze  me,  the  fellows 
who  are  in  it  will  be  sorry.  I  have  stood  enough  here, 
and  I  am  not  going  to  stand  any  more." 

"What  will  you  do?"  asked  Ned  Gray. 

"Fight,"  was  the  fierce  reply,  and  Bart  certainly  looked 
as  if  he  meant  to  do  so. 

"You  will  get  the  worst  of  it." 

"If  I  find  out  who  the  hazers  are,  I  will  report  them." 

"And  thus  make  yourself  a  fellow  marked  for  roastirg 
as  long  as  you  remain  in  this  academy." 

"Not  much.  I  tell  you,  most  fellows  who  come  here 
submit  too  easily  to  abuse.  If  they  would  show  some 
spirit,  these  caddish  upstarts  would  think  all  the  more  of 
them." 

Frank  said  nothing,  but  approached  the  corner  where 
Barney  Mulloy  was  preparing  for  bed. 

"What's  up?"  he  asked. 


loo  Further  Trouble. 

"Oi  dunno,"  replied  the  Irish  lad.  "It  sames  thot 
Hodge  has  been  tipped  a  bit  av  a  wink  that  some  av  th' 
b'ys  are  goin'  to  roon  him  through  th'  mill  roight  away 
soon." 

"What  did  they  do  with  Hans  Dunnerwust?" 

"Nivver  a  thing." 

"Did  they  let  him  go?" 

"Yis." 

"He  didn't  return  to  walk  post?" 

"No;  he  wur  sint  to  his  room  to  hiv  a  sloice  av  bafe 
toied  over  th'  oie  where  Quid  Gunn  gave  him  th'  crack 
with  his  knuckles.  Faith,  th'  Doochman's  oie  is  a  soight, 
so  it  is.  Some  av  th'  lads  got  him  outsoide  afther  he  had 
his  oie  attinded,  an'  it's  barrels  av  foon  they  had  wid  th' 
gossoon.  Ye'd  die  av  laughin'  to  hear  th'  duck  tell  av  th' 
cat  that  crawled  inther  him  somewhere,  but  nivver  a  bit 
did  he  know  'where.  Doochy  says  it  wur  yawlin'  an' 
squawlin'  to  bate  th'  band,  but  he  couldn't  locate  th'  baste 
till  he  shlipped  an'  sat  doon,  an'  thin  by  th'  howl  it  gave 
he  knew  th'  crayther  must  be  somewhere  around  his  hip- 
pocket  He  was  so  scared  thot  he  shtarted  fer  his  room, 
an'  he  roon  shtraight  inther  th'  professor.  It  wud  give 
yez  a  himmorrhage  to  hear  him  tell  how  aisy  he  shlid 
doon  th'  shtairs,  sated  on  th'  professor's  digestive  appara- 
tus. Be  me  soul,  thot  Doochman  is  th'  fooniest  duck  Oi 
ivver  shtruck  in  all  me  loife!" 

That  Barney  relished  anything  of  a  humorous  turn 
was  evident  by  his  manner,  for  he  laughed  till  he  was 
almost  purple  in  the  face. 

Hodge  continued  to  rave  up  and  down  the  room,  till 
Frank  suddenly  said : 

"There  is  but  one  minute  before  taps,  Mr.  Hodge.    It 


Further  Trouble.  101 

is  my  duty  to  see  that  the  light  is  out  promptly  taps  are 
sounded." 

With  the  exception  of  Bartley,  all  the  lads  were  ready 
for  retiring.  He  paused  and  glanced  contemptuously  at 
Frank,  but  said  nothing.  He  did  not  offer  to  undress. 

A  short  time  later,  taps  sounded. 

As  Frank  stepped  quickly  toward  the  lamp,  Bartley 
faced  him,  saying: 

"You  needn't  bother,  Merriwell ;  I  will  blow  it  out." 

"But  it  is  my  olace  to  extinguish  the  lamp  this  week." 

"Never  mind ;  I  will  attend  to  it  to-night." 

"But  I  am  not  in  the  habit  of  leaving  my  duties  for 
another  to  do." 

Bartley's  lips  curled. 

"Indeed!"  he  sneered.  "A  perfect  slave  of  duty! 
Without  doubt,  you  will  be  high-muck-a-muck  among  the 
cadets  before  you  leave  Fardale.  You  would  make  a  fine 
special  pet  for  Old  Gunn!" 

Frank's  teeth  came  together  with  a  click,  but  he  held 
fast  to  his  temper,  saying,  quietly : 

"Please  stand  aside,  Mr.  Hodge — I  wish  to  extin- 
guish that  light." 

"Oh,  don't  put  on  any  airs  with  me.  I  will  look  after 
the  lamp,  so  pile  into  bed." 

With  a  quick  step  and  a  strong  sweep  of  his  arm, 
Frank  cast  the  dark-faced  lad  aside  and  reached  the  light, 
which  he  immediately  blew  out. 

With  an  angry  snarl  Hodge  struck  at  Merriwell  in  the 
darkness,  and  the  blow  landed  glancingly  on  Frank's  neck, 
sending  him  staggering.  He  recovered  as  quickly  as 
possible,  hearing  a  rush  of  feet,  and  a  savage  panting 
right  at  his  hand. 


IC2  Further  Trouble. 

"Keep  off,  Hodge !"  he  warned. 

"I'll  fix  you  now !"  were  the  vindictive  words  hissed 
in  his  ear. 

Then  the  foes  clinched,  and  a  desperate  struggle  began 
in  the  darkness. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

VISITED    BY    THE    "jOLLY     FIENDS." 

"Stop  it!"  palpitated  Ned  Gray,  leaping  toward  the 
struggling  lads.  "You'll  bring  the  whole  academy  down 
on  us!" 

"I  don't  care !"  grated  Hodge.  "I'll  settle  with  Merri- 
well  here  and  now !" 

Smack — thud !    A  blow,  and  a  fall. 

"Are  yez  all  roight,  Frankie,  me  b'y  ?"  came  the  anxious 
voice  of  Barney  Mulloy. 

"I  think  so,"  returned  Frank,  cautiously. 

"What's  happened?"  asked  Ned  Gray,  in  an  awed 
whisper. 

"I  struck  Hodge,"  was  the  quiet  answer.  "It  was  a 
chance  blow  as  we  broke  holds,  but  I  think  I  have 
knocked  him  out." 

"Hurro!"  breathed  Barney,  in  delight.  "Merriwell 
foriver !  He's  th'  b'y !" 

"I  hope  the  scuffle  and  Hodge's  fall  were  not  heard," 
came  anxiously  from  Frank.  "I  believe  some  one  is 
coming !  Into  bed,  Gray !  I  will  stow  Hodge  beside  you. 
Lively !" 

Lively  work  it  certainly  was.     Into  bed  Ned  leaped, 

and  Frank  lifted  his  foe  from  the  floor,  quickly  depositing 

him  at  Gray's  side,  giving  the  blanket  a  switching  throw 

/"that  covered  the  unconscious  lad,  clothes  and  all,  to  the 

chin.^A 

There  were  swift  moving  feet  on  the  stairs,  and  then 
they  came  along  the  hall. 


104      Visited  by  the  "Jolly  Fiends." 

With  one  great  bound,  Frank  reached  his  own  bed, 
and  plunged  in  at  Barney's  side. 

Bang!  Open  came  the  door,  and  the  light  of  a  re- 
flector lamp  was  flung  into  the  room. 

The  light  showed  four  lads  in  bed,  while  everything 
seemed  to  be  in  order  about  the  room.  The  fact  that 
Cadet  Hodge's  clothes  were  not  hanging  in  their  proper 
place  must  have  escaped  the  eyes  of  the  inspector,  for 
the  door  closed,  and  the  footsteps  passed  on. 

"Be  me  soul !"  gasped  Barney  Mulloy,  sitting  up  in  bed. 
"But  thot  wur  a  chlose  shave,  b'ys !" 

"That's  right,"  agreed  Ned  Gray,  also  sitting  up.  "I 
say,  Merriwell,  you  must  have  struck  Hodge  a  fearful 
blow.  He  is  awful  still." 

"I  did  strike  him  pretty  hard,"  acknowledged  Frank; 
"but  I  didn't  think  it  would  stun  him  like  this." 

"He  doesn't  stir,"  whispered  Ned,  in  an  awed  way. 
"He  doesn't  even  seem  to  breathe !  I'm  afraid  he's  hurt 
pretty  bad." 

Frank  got  up,  his  heart  sinking.  Already  he  was  sorry 
for  the  blow,  which  had  been  delivered  in  the  heat  of 
Hodge's  sudden  assault,  and  the  ominous  silence  of  his 
enemy  gave  him  a  shivery  feeling,  as  if  his  blood  has  con- 
gealed in  his  veins. 

What  if  Hodge  were  seriously  injured?  What  if 
that  blow,  delivered  in  self-defense,  had  broken  the  fel- 
low's neck? 

Such  a  thing  was  by  no  means  an  impossibility,  and 
Frank  Merriwell  shuddered  with  horror  as  he  thought 
what  must  follow  in  case  it  should  be  true. 

There  was  nothing  malicious  or  vicious  in  Frank's 
nature,  and  he  had  struck  the  blow  purely  in  self-de- 


Visited  by  the  " Jolly  Fiends."       105 

fense,  without  thinking  of  the  possibility  of  serious  con- 
sequences. Nor  had  it  given  him  a  single  thrill  of  joy  to 
know  he  had  knocked  Hodge  out  with  a  single  stroke,  as 
he  realized  it  was  purely  a  matter  of  accident,  and  his 
blow  might  have  been  guarded  or  dodged  had  his  enemy 
seen  it  coming. 

Steadying  his  nerves,  Frank  got  lightly  out  of  bed,  and 
hurried  to  the  side  of  the  unconscious  lad. 

In  truth  Hodge  lay  ominously  still.  It  was  with  no 
little  reluctance  that  Merriwell  felt  for  the  fellow's 
heart,  but  a  sigh  of  relief  came  from  his  lips  when  he 
felt  that  organ  pulsating  regularly  beneath  his  hand. 

"He  will  come  round  all  right,  I  think,"  whispered 
Frank,  as  he  gave  the  dark-haired  lad  a  shake.  "Come, 
come,  Hodge,  stir  up  here/' 

Bart  groaned  a  bit,  and  then  caught  his  breath  with  a 
gasp,  but  made  no  effort  to  sit  or  stir  up. 

"Bring  me  some  water,  Mulloy,"  directed  Frank.  "Be 
still  about  it.  We  don't  want  that  fellow  to  come  back 
here  with  the  light." 

The  water  was  brought,  and  Merriwell  used  it  to  bathe 
Hodge's  face  and  temples.  This  seemed  to  revive  the 
stunned  boy,  who  soon  began  to  breathe  regularly,  and 
finally  pushed  Frank's  hand  away,  muttering : 

"Don't !     It's  wet." 

"How  do  you  feel,  Hlodge?"  asked  Ned  Gray,  who 
was  still  anxious.  "Are  you  all  right?" 

"Feel?  What  do  you  mean?  Of  course  I'm  all  right. 
What's  happened,  anyway?" 

"Sh !  Don't  speak  so  loud,  or  you  will  be  heard.  You 
were  struck,  and " 


io6      Visited  by  the  "Jolly  Fiends." 

"Struck?    Who    did    it?    I    remember!     Merriwell, 

"Tapped  yez  a  dainty  one,  me  laddybuck,"  chuckled 
Barney,  who  was  delighted  by  the  way  things  had  turned. 
"Bechune  this  an'  yer  other  foig'ht  wid  him,  Oi  think  ye 
will  'be  afther  takin'  a  toomble  thot  he  is  by  far  th'  best 
b'y  wid  his  dukes." 

Bart  sat  up,  although  it  cost  him  an  effort  to  do  so, 
and  there  was  a  strange  buzzing  in  his  head. 

"It  was  an  accident,"  he  savagely  muttered.  "I  could 
not  see  him,  and  I  slipped.  My  'head  struck  the  floor, 
and  dazed  me.  Merriwell  is  a  good  fighter — in  the  dark, 
where  the  other  fellow  can't  see  him." 

"Say,  will  you  keep  still !"  hissed  Ned  Gray,  giving 
Bart  a  nudge.  "You  seem  determined  to  get  yourself 
and  the  rest  of  us  into  trouble  to-night." 

"I  told  him  not  to  blow  out  the  light." 

"And  you  knew  an  inspecting  officer  would  have  been 
here  in  less  than  a  minute  if  the  light  had  not  been  blown 
out.  It  is  Merriwell's  place  to  see  that  it  is  extinguished, 
and  he  would  have  suffered  for  it." 

"Oh,  you  fellows  are  all  against  me !"  snarled  Bart,  as 
he  lay  down  again.  "But  I  have  friends.  I  will  show 
you  that  I've  got  as  many  friends  as  Merriwell.  We'll 
see  who  will  stand  ahead  in  this  academy — we'll  see !" 

Frank  had  kept  silent,  glad  to  let  the  matter  drop  for 
the  time.  He  scarcely  heard  Bartley's  muttered  words, 
and,  being  fatigued  by  the  severe  drilling  through  which 
he  had  passed  that  day,  he  soon  fell  asleep. 

Twice  Ned  asked  Hodge  if  he  did  not  intend  to  un- 
dress, but  the  fellow  kept  a  sullen  silence,  and  so  Gray 


Visited  by  the  "Jolly  Fiends."       107 

finally  drifted  away  into  the  land  of  dreams,  with  Bartley, 
still  dressed,  lying  in  the  bed  and  outlining  a  hundred 
plots  for  vengeance  on  the  lad  he  hated  with  a  bitterness 
that  seemed  to  increase  with  each  passing  moment. 

Having  a  proud  and  sensitive  nature,  as  well  as  a  fierce 
temper,  Hodge  felt  humiliated  and  disgraced,  and  his 
bosom  was  full  of  bitterest  rancor.  Over  and  over  he 
told  himself  that  he  could  kill  Merriwell. 

Bartley 's  father  was  the  richest  man  in  the  town  where 
he  resided,  and  Bart  had  been  brought  up  in  a  way  that 
usually  spoils  a  lad.  In  his  home  he  had  been  petted  and 
indulged  in  every  way,  and  in  the  village  he  had  been 
something  of  a  monarch  among  the  boys,  for  he  had 
spent  money  quite  freely,  and  boys  generally  in  the  coun- 
try are  inclined  to  fawn  on  the  fellow  who  has  plenty  of 
money. 

In  fact,  Bartley  had  been  so  indulged  and  spoiled  that 
his  father  decided  the  only  way  to  save  him  and  make 
anything  of  him  was  to  send  him  to  a  military  school, 
where  he  would  be  forced  to  take  his  chance  with  other 
lads,  and  would  receive  no  favors. 

From  the  first  school  to  which  Bart  was  sent,  he  wrote 
home  the  most  pitiful  and  indignant  letters,  describing 
the  "indignities"  and  "abuses"  which  he  was  compelled  to 
suffer.  His  father  smiled,  and  would  have  let  the  boy  re- 
main ;  but  his  mother  raised  such  a  hue-and-cry  that  Mr. 
Hodge  was  finally  forced  to  take  his  son  out  of  the  school. 

Then  Bart  was  sent  to  another  academy,  but  this  proved 
no  better.  Mr.  Hodge,  however,  refused  to  take  him  out 
For  all  of  this,  he  did  not  remain  long.  He  soon  com- 
mitted an  act  that  brought  about  his  expulsion. 

By  this  time  Bart's  father  was  thoroughly  angry,  and 


io8      Visited  by  the  "Jolly  Fiends." 

he  made  up  his  mind  that  the  boy  must  remain  at  the  next 
school  to  which  he  was  sent.  He  expressed  himself  with 
decision  and  force  to  his  wife  and  his  son.  To  the  latter, 
he  said : 

"Fardale  Military  Academy  is  said  to  be  one  of  the 
best  schools  of  the  kind  in  the  country.  I  am  going  to 
rsend  you  there,  and  you  are  going  to  stay  there  till  you 
are-  fitted  for  college.  I  shall  not  take  you  out  on  any 
condition,  and,  if  you  are  expelled,  you  need  not  come 
back  here  looking  for  any  further  assistance  from  me.  I 
shall  set  you  adrift  in  the  world  to  hoe  your  own  row. 
That  is  business !" 

Knowing  his  father  as  he  did,  Bart  realized  it  was  in- 
deed "business,"  and  he  had  no  'desire  to  be  expelled  from 
Fardale  Academy,  although  it  seemed  very  humiliating  to 
be  forced  to  mingle  with  "ordinary  fellows"  and  have  no 
better  things  nor  receive  no  more  favors  than  he  would 
if  his  father  were  barely  able  to  pay  his  tuition. 

Bart  thought  this  all  over  as  he  lay  there,  and  his 
heart  was  hot  against  his  father  for  making  him  face  the 
music  in  such  a  manner. 

"Still,  I  believe  I'd  get  along  first  rate  if  Merriwell  got 
it  in  the  neck,"  thought  fhe  musing  lad.  "If  I  could  put 
up  a  job  to  get  him  expelled,  I'd  be  quite  happy  and 
contented." 

Thus  thinking  and  plotting,  he  finally  fell  asleep. 

He  awoke  to  feel  himself  roughly  shaken  and  heard  a 
guarded  whisper: 

"Awake  from  thy  slumber,  plebe.  Your  presence  is 
earnestly  desired  at  a  little  matinee  to  be  held  im- 
mediately." 

"Who  are  you?  and  what  do  you  want?"  he  sleepily 
asked. 


Visited  by  the  "Jolly  Fiends,"       IOQ 

A  light  from  a  dark  lantern  was  flashed  in  his  face. 

"We  are  the  Jolly  Fiends  of  Fardale,"  replied  a  dis- 
guised voice ;  "and  we  want  you." 

The  light  was  flashed  round  the  room,  and  he  saw  it 
was  filled  with  boys  who  wore  masks  over  their  fares! 


CHAPTER  XVIL 

NO  ESCAPE. 

"Hazers!" 

Bart  gasped  the  word,  sitting  up  suddenly.  The  light 
was  flung  upon  him  again,  blinding  him  by  its  bright- 
ness, and  he  heard  a  laughing  voice  say : 

"Behold,  comrades !  the  chosen  one  is  already  dressed 
for  the  occasion." 

Something  like  a  hoarse  chuckle  ran  round  the  room, 
sounding  hollowly  from  behind  the  masks. 

Ned  Gray  awoke  and  turned  over. 

"What's  the  row  now  ?"  he  asked,  in  a  sleepy  voice. 

"Silence!"  sternly  commanded  the  leader  of  the  Jolly 
Fiends.  "If  you  speak  louder  than  a  whisper,  may  your 
doom  be  on  your  head." 

"So  mote  it  be !"  came  in  a  hushed  and  solemn  murmur 
from  the  masked  cadets. 

"Oxcuse  me!"  muttered  Barney  Mulloy»  "Oi'm  not 
at  home  this  avening."  And  under  the  bedclothes  he 
ducked. 

Frank  Merriwell  was  wide  awake,  but  he  kept  still  and 
said  nothing,  knowing  that  this  was  the  best  thing  he 
could  do. 

But  Merriwell  was  not  to  escape,  having  been  selected 
for  che  "matinee"  by  the  Jolly  Fiends.  Having  discov- 
ered he  did  not  sleep  with  Hodge,  the  leader  said : 

"Fellow-Fiends,  our  second  victim  must  repose  on 
yonder  cot.  Cause  him  to  arise  and  prepare  to  go  forth 
or  fifth  with  us." 


No  Escape.  in 

In  another  moment,  Frank  was  pounced  upon  and  or- 
dered to  get  up  immediately  and  dress, 

"All  right,  gentlemen,"  he  said,  with  resignation.  "But 
I  presume  you  will  allow  me  sufficient  time  to  draw  uo 
my  last  will  and  testament  before  I  am  led  forth  to  the 
slaughter?" 

"Silence !  If  you  are  given  time  to  say  your  prayers 
before  standing  face  to  face  with  your  doom,  you  should 
be  well  satisfied.  Arise." 

"O.  K.    Arise  it  is." 

Frank  got  out  of  bed  quietly,  and  began  to  dress  him- 
self. 

Bart,  however,  was  not  so  willing  to  take  his  medicine. 

"I  will  not  get  up!"  he  declared.  "I  refuse  to  be 
hazed,  and  if  you  do  not  leave  this  room  immediately  I 
will " 

"What?" 

"I'll  raise  a  rumpus  that  will  arouse  the  whole 
academy." 

"Oh,  no,  you  won't !"  came  grimly  from  the  leader  of 
the  masks.  "You  will  get  up  quietly,  and  take  great 
care  not  to  make  enough  noise  to  awaken  anybody.  I 
don't  think  you  want  to  see  your  own  brains  scattered 
all  over  the  wall,  and  this  may  bring  you  to  realize  that 
we  are  in  deadly  earnest." 

Something  bright  and  shmy  showed  in  the  speaker's 
steady  hand,  as  the  light  flashed  for  a  second  upon  it, 
and  then  Hodge  felt  a  cold  muzzle  pressed  agains:  his 
forehead.  The  touch  gave  him  a  thrill  of  fear,  and  he 
gasped: 

"You — you  wouldn't  dare!" 

"Wouldn't  I  ?"  was  the  deep,  hoarse  whisper  that  came 
back  from  the  leader  of  the  masks,  who  now  seemed 


!12  No  EscapCo 

terribly  in  earnest.  "I  warn  you  not  to  force  me  into 
daring,  I  give  you  my  word  of  honor  that,  as  true  as 
this  weapon  ever  cracked  a  cartridge  and  sent  a  bullet 
with  deadly  force  from  its  muzzle,  I  shall  pull  the  trigger 
and  it  will  plant  another  bullet  in  your  head,  if  you  raise 
a  row.  Take  a  tumble,  and  get  up." 

"This  is  an  outrage !     I  will  report  it !" 

"If  you  get  rantankerous,  you  may  not  find  an  oppor- 
tunity to  report  it,  sir.  It  is  a  sad  thing  for  one  like  you 
to  die  so  young." 

"And  so  fair,"  murmured  another  voice. 

"Hodge  says  it  an't  fair  at  all  at  all,"  muttered  Barney 
Mulloy,  who  had  ventured  to  peer  out  from  beneath  the 
clothes. 

"I  never  before  heard  of  such  a  dastardly  outrage!" 
Bart  grated.  "The  idea  of  using  a  revolver  to  compel 
a  fellow  to  take  a  hazing !  It  is  criminal !" 

"Be  careful,  sir!"  warned  the  leader  of  the  Jolly 
Fiends.  "Every  word  you  speak  is  noted  and  recorded, 
and  you  will  have  to  answer  for  it.  Take  warning!" 

But  Bart  was  too  angry  and  too  stubborn  to  be  warned 
in  such  a  manner. 

"Old  Gunn  shall  hear  of  this,"  he  panted.  "Some  of 
you  fellows  will  be  expelled  for  this  bit  of  work,  mark 
what  I  say!" 

"Yes,"  said  the  leader,  "mark  what  he  says — mark  it 
in  the  book  of  records,  and  let  him  answer  for  it  in  the 
day  of  judgment.  Then  there  shall  be  weeping  and  wail- 
ing and  gnashing  of  teeth,  and  great  shall  be  the  fall 
thereof,  even  though  it  is  in  the  spring  of  the  y,ear." 

Bart  was  tempted  to  raise  a  shout,  for  all  of  that 
menacing  weapon.  But  what  if  the  revolver  should  be 
accidentally  discharged?  This  shout  might  startle  the 


No  Escapec  113 

fellow  so  he  would  press  the  trigger.  A  cold  chill  ran 
over  the  dark-haired  boy,  for  the  muzzle  of  the  terrible 
weapon  kept  steadily  staring  upon  him.  He  grated  his 
teeth,  and  then  he  started  and  shuddered  again,  for  every 
one  of  those  masked  figures  echoed  the  sound  from  be- 
hind the  masks. 

"There  is  not  a  false  molar  among  them  all,"  said  the 
leader,  cheerfully.  "You  should  hear  them  crunching 
and  snapping  the  bones  of  our  last  victim !  Ah,  it  was 
sweet,  sweet  music!  Methinks  or  methunks  I  can  hear 
it  even  now." 

"What  rot !"  exclaimed  Bart,  but  he  took  care  to  speak 
softly.  "You  fellows  are  making  blooming  fools  of 
yourselves !" 

"But  we  will  make  a  still  more  blooming  fool  of  you," 
was  the  pleasant  assurance.  "Get  up!" 

"Well,  I  guess  I  can  stand  it  if  Merriwell  can." 

Hodge  got  up,  and  the  hazers,  who  had  really  feared 
he  would  raise  a  rumpus,  began  to  believe  there  was  a 
possibility  that  they  would  carry  out  their  plot  success- 
fully. 

"Remove  those  shoes  from  thy  pedal  extremities,"  di- 
rected the  leader. 

Bart  obeyed. 

By  this  time  Frank  was  sufficiently  dressed,  and  one 
of  the  masked  fellows  slowly  and  gently  raised  the  win- 
dow. Then  he  thrust  out  his  head  for  the  purpose  of 
making  an  inspection. 

"The  coast  is  clear,"  he  quickly  declared,  drawing  back 
and  securing  the  window.  "I  will  go  ahead." 

Then  he  climbed  over  the  sill,  swung  down  by  his 
hands,  and  dropped.  As  the  room  was  on  the  second 
story,  he  did  not  have  far  to  fall,  and  he  landed  lightly, 


114  No  Escape. 

like  a  cat,  upon  his  feet.    A  second  and  a  third  followed, 
and  then  Merriwell  was  ordered  to  make  the  drop. 

Frank  did  not  hold  back.  As  quietly  as  he  could,  he 
got  out  over  the  sill,  and  hung  by  his  hands.  Then, 
pushing  himself  out  a  bit  from  the  wall  with  his  knee, 
he  let  go  and  dropped,  doing  the  trick  as  skillfully  as  the 
others  had  done. 

Then  came  three  more  wearers  of  masks,  and  Hodge 
followed  them.  He  made  some  noise  in  getting  through 
the  window,  but  was  warned  again  by  the  leader,  who 
stood  beside  him,  with  the  terrible  weapon  ready  for  in- 
stant use. 

When  Hodge  had  made  the  drop,  the  leader  of  the 
Jolly  Fiends  turned  to  two  of  his  masked  companions, 
saying : 

"You  are  to  stay  and  keep  guard  over  the  plebes  here. 
When  you  hear  the  signal,  let  down  the  knotted  rope 
for  us.  It  is  not  likely  we  shall  be  back  inside  of  two 
hours." 

"Correct,  your  royal  muchness,"  was  the  reply.  "We 
will  look  after  these  two  plebes.  But  what  if  they  at- 
tempt to  kick  up  a  racket?" 

"Beat  out  their  brains  with  the  pillows  on  these  beds," 
was  the  order.  "Those  pillows  are  far  more  deadly  than 
this  revolver  in  my  hand.  A  blow  from  one  of  them  is 
enough  to  shatter  the  strongest  constitution.  Farewell." 

Then  he  crept  out  through  the  window  and  dropped. 

On  striking  the  ground  he  found  himself  quite  alone, 
but  that  did  not  seem  to  surprise  him.  He  had  his  shoes 
in  his  hand  almost  as  soon  as  he  struck  the  ground,  as 
they  had  been  concealed  about  his  person  all  the  time, 
and  he  quickly  darted  round  to  the  back  of  the  academy, 
scudded  under  the  shadow  of  the  tall  elm  trees,  and  was 


No  Escape.  115 

soon  with  a  little  band  who  were  putting  on  their  shoes 
by  the  guardhouse. 

Hodge's  and  Merriweirs  shoes  had  been  brought  along, 
and  they  were  putting  them  on.  Hodge  was  still  growl- 
ing about  the  outrage  of  forcing  a  fellow  to  be  hazed  at 
the  muzzle  of  a  revolver. 

"You  talk  a  great  deal  with  your  mouth,  young  man !" 
said  the  leader  of  the  masks,  in  disgust.  "Here,  take  a 
good  look  at  that  deadly  revolver!" 

Some  one  produced  trie  dark  lantern  and  flashed  the 
light  upon  the  weapon,  which  the  speaker  had  produced 
from  one  of  his  pockets. 

Hodge  gave  a  gasp  of  surprise  and  disgust  as  he  saw 
what  lay  in  the  open  hand  of  the  leader  of  the  Jolly 
Fiends. 

It  was  simply  a  nickel-covered  water-faucet,  such  as 
are  in  common  use  on  water  pipes ! 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

HANS    SINGS    A    SONG. 

A  groan  came  from  Bart  Hodge's  lips,  and,  had  they 
not  been  so  near  the  academy,  the  boys  would  have 
roared  with  laughter.  It  was  a  joke  that  every  one  but 
Hodge  thoroughly  enjoyed. 

"I— I  don't  believe  it,"  he  said,  weakly.  "I  don't  be- 
lieve that  was  the  weapon  you  held  against  my  head.  I 
heard  you  cock  it — I  heard  it  click." 

"You  have  a  very  vivid  imagination,  sir,"  said  the 
leader  of  the  masks,  as  he  restored  the  faucet  to  his 
pocket  and  continued  putting  on  his  shoes.  "I  assure 
you  that  you  are  mistaken." 

"If  I  had  known,  I'd— I'd " 

"What?" 

"I'd  raised  such  a  rumpus  that  you  wouldn't  have 
worked  your  little  racket  so  far.  By  thunder,  I'm  going 
to  do  it  now !  I'll  shout " 

"If  you  do,"  came  sternly  from  the  leader  of  the 
Fiends,  "I  will  agree  to  see  that  you  receive  the  worst 
hammering  you  ever  ran  up  against  in  all  your  life. 
Well  all  get  a  crack  at  you,  and  you  will  not  look  verv 
pretty  in  the  morning.  Eh,  comrades?" 

"Correct,  your  royal  muchness,"  came  from  every  one 
of  the  masked  lads. 

Bart  hesitated.  He  did  not  relish  the  idea  of  being 
pounded  by  a  gang  of  masked  fellows  whom  he  didn't 
know.  If  he  had  known  them  all,  so  he  might  report 


Hans  Sings  a  Song.  117 

them,  he  would  have  set  up  a  shout  without  delay.  As 
it  was,  he  said : 

"Oh,  well,  you've  got  me  out  here,  and  I  suppose  I 
may  as  well  see  the  matter  through ;  but  I  give  you  fair 
warning  that  you  want  to  be  careful  what  you  do  to  me." 

"Oh,  yes,  we'll  be  careful !"  came  from  several  of  the 
cadets,  and  the  way  they  spoke  the  words  gave  Bart  a 
very  shivery  feeling. 

In  a  few  moments  all  had  their  shoes  on,  and  then, 
following  the  leader,  they  slipped  across  the  grounds, 
keeping  beneath  the  shadows  of  the  trees  and  close  to 
the  walls  of  the  buildings,  skirted  the  plain,  and  finally 
reached  the  limit  of  the  grounds  without  being  seen. 

"Where  are  you  taking  me?"  asked  Bart. 

"Keep  still,  and  you  will  find  out,"  was  the  sharp  reply. 

Leaving  the  grounds,  they  proceeded  with  less  cau- 
tion, but  still  maintaining  silence.  They  came  to  the 
shore  of  the  cove  on  which  the  academy  was  located, 
and  this  they  followed  for  at  least  half  a  mile. 

Finally  a  private  boathouse  was  reached.  From  within 
came  the  sounds  of  boisterous  merriment,  as  if  a  great 
collection  of  young  fellows  had  assembled  within,  and 
Bart  suddenly  grew  desperate,  resolving  to  make  a  break 
for  liberty,  rather  than  go  in  there. 

It  seemed  as  if  his  very  thoughts  were  surmised,  for 
hands  were  placed  firmly  on  his  arms,  and  he  found  he 
could  not  get  away  if  he  wished,  so  he  gave  over  the 
desperate  project. 

A  peculiar  rap  on  the  door  of  the  boathouse  caused 
the  merriment  within  to  be  hushed  quickly.  The  rap  was 
repeated,  and  then  the  door  opened. 


n8  Hans  Sings  a  Song. 

"Enter,"  ordered  the  leader  of  the  Jolly  Fiends,  and 
Bart  was  forced  to  march  in. 

Frank  followed  quietly. 

The  boathouse  seemed  swarming  with  masked  lads, 
and  the  cause  of  their  merriment  soon  became  apparent, 
for  Hans  Dunnerwust  was  there,  his  fat  face  painted 
like  that  of  a  wild  Indian  about  to  take  the  warpath,  and 
his  hair  filled  full  of  feathers  which  looked  as  if  they 
had  been  plucked  from  the  tails  of  half-a-dozen  different 
roosters.  With  a  wooden  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife 
in  his  hands,  he  had  just  finished  a  wild  war  dance  that 
had  quite  put  him  out  of  breath,  and  he  was  puffing  and 
gasping  in  the  middle  of  the  floor. 

The  appearance  of  Hodge  and  Merriwell  was  hailed 
with  a  shout  of  delight  from  the  masked  cadets  assem- 
bled in  the  boathouse,  and  they  all  began  to  sing : 

"We'll  give  them  the  rink  of  the  blinkety-blmk, 
And  crush  their  weak  bones,  ker-chunk ; 

We'll  give  them  the  spank  of  the  blankety-blank, 
And  laugh  at  their  moans,  ker-plunk." 

"Ker-chunk"  and  "ker-plunk"  at  the  end  of  the  second 
and  fourth  lines  were  brought  out  with  great  emphasis. 
Immediately,  as  if  by  a  mutual  understanding,  the  song 
changed  to  this: 

"Let  us  all  unite  in  love, 

While  Old  Gunn's  asleep  above; 

Let  us  all  unite  in  love, 

And  give  these  plebes  a  gentle  short 

"In  the  neck,  in  the  neck  they  will  get  it, 

In  the  neck,  in  the  neck,  where  it  fits ; 

If  you  laugh  when  they  squeal,  you  will  hit  ft, 

For  they'll  get  it  in  the  neck,  where  it  fits." 


Hans  Sings  a  Song.  119 

The  door  closed  behind  the  new  delegation  and  their 
victims,  being  securely  fastened. 

Hans  Dunnerwust  gave  a  sigh  of  relief  as  he  saw 
Frank  and  Bart. 

"Veil,  maype  I  don'd  vas  glat  you  haf  come !"  he  ex- 
claimed. "Maype  dese  vellers  a  rest  vill  gif  me  now, 
ain'd  id?" 

But  Hans  was  not  to  escape  yet. 

"You  haven't  taken  your  third  degree,  Cadet  Dunner> 
wust,"  said  the  master  of  ceremonies.  "Nor  have  you 
sung  that  song  we  desire  to  hear  so  very  much." 

"Veil,  don'd  I  dell  you  I  didn't  know  how  to  sing 
pretty  goot?" 

"You  are  altogether  too  modest,  sir.  I  am  sure  that 
any  one  with  such  a  musical  voice  as  yours  can  sing 
divinely.  Take  your  place  in  the  center  of  the  room 
there,  and  begin  at  once." 

Hans  stood  helplessly  on  the  spot  indicated,  but  he 
was  the  picture  of  despair  as  he  looked  all  around. 

"Vot  shall  I  sing?"  he  asked. 

"You  might  carol  that  tender  little  ditty  entitled  'Who 
Threw  Mush  in  Willie's  Eye  ?' "  suggested  one. 

"I  don'd  know  him." 

"Then  you  may  warble  'He  Had  a  Little  Eyebrow 
Growing  on  His  Lip.' " 

"I  don'd  know  him." 

"Is  it  possible !  I  fear  your  musical  education  has  been 
sadly  neglected.  Give  us  a  few  stanzas  of  'How  He 
Rambled  Through  His  Brother's  Appetite.'  " 

"Veil,  I  don'd  know  him,  eder." 

"This  is  sincerely  distressing,"  sighed  the  leader. 
"What  can  you  sing?" 

"Veil,  I  haf  heard  dot  song  caldt  'Bull  for  der  Shore/  " 


I2O  Hans  Sings  a  Song. 

"Very  well ;  you  may  give  us  'Bull  for  der  Shore/  " 
"Vait  a  minute  till  I  think  me  of  him.     Id  vas  peen 
more  as  zwei  week  before  I  heardt  dot  song  der  last 
time." 

Hans  scratched  his  head  and  looked  puzzled,  but  finally 
grinned  and  announced : 
"I  haf  him." 

Then  he  took  in  a  deep  breath,  threw  back  his  head, 
and  began  to  sing,  in  the  most  discordant  manner  imag- 
inable : 

"Bull  for  der  shore,  sailor,  bull  for  der  shore, 

Ged  inter  dot  lifepoat,  undt  ged  off  der  roof, 
Shbit  on  your  handts,  sailor,  undt  let  her  rip, 
Uf  you  don'd  prace  ub,  you  ged  left  alretty  yet." 

There  was  something  so  ludicrous  about  Hans'  effort 
to  sing  and  the  manner  in  which  he  had  twisted  the  words 
of  the  hymn  about  that  the  listeners,  with  the  exception 
of  Bart  Hodge,  roared  with  laughter. 

Frank  Merriwell  was  actually  enjoying  every  minute  of 
the  time,  and  he  had  enjoyed  it  since  the  appearance  of 
the  masked  cadets  in  his  room  at  barracks.  He  had  made 
up  his  mind  to  take  what  might  come  and  make  as  little 
fuss  about  it  as  possible,  and  he  did  not  worry  over  what 
was  in  store  for  himself. 

On  the  other  hand,  while  Bart  would  have  enjoyed  it 
hugely  had  he  been  one  of  the  hazers,  he  felt  that  he  was 
humiliated  in  the  eyes  of  his  companions,  and  that  cut 
his  sensitive  spirit  keenly,  so,  under  the  circumstances,  he 
did  not  enjoy  it  at  all. 

Hans  stopped  singing,  and  twenty  voices  shouted: 

"Go  on,  sir — go  on!" 

"Bud  I  don'd  know  any  more  of  dot  song." 

"Sing  it  over  again." 


Hans  Sings  a  Song.  121 

With  a  sickly  grin,  the  Dutch  boy  did  as  directed. 

"Louder!  louder!"  was  the  cry. 

So  he  sang  louder,  and  he  was  told  to  keep  singing 
it  over  and  over  till  directed  to  stop. 

"Louder!  louder!"  shouted  the  masked  roysterers. 

Hans  shut  both  eyes  tightly,  and  opened  his  mouth  to 
its  greatest  capacity,  and. roared  out  the  words  as  loudly 
as  he  could.  He  was  repeating  the  stanza  for  the  sixth 
time  when  something  happened. 

Spat!  A  rotten  apple,  flung  by  an  unerring  hand, 
struck  the  Dutch  boy  fairly  in  the  mouth. 

The  song  ended  very  abruptly. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

GHOSTLY      SOUNDS. 

The  decayed  apple  came  near  choking  the  unfortunate 
boy  to  death,  and  it  caused  him  to  spit  and  splutter  and 
gurgle  in  a  most  distressing  manner.  Some  of  it  was 
spattered  over  his  painted  face,  and  he  presented  a  most 
pitiful  spectacle. 

"Shimminy  Gristmas!"  he  gurgled.  "Vot  vas  dot? 
Id  tasted  like  it  haf  peen  egsbosed  to  injury  alretty  yet." 

The  way  he  uttered  the  words  threw  the  cadets  into 
convulsions.  The  boathouse  rang  with  their  shouts  of 
laughter. 

"This  is  a  disgrace!"  grated  Bart  Hodge.  "It  shall  be 
reported  to  Professor  Gunn." 

"I  presume  you  will  report  it?"  said  one  of  the  masked 
Fiends. 

"That  I  will,"  was  the  ready  assurance. 

Immediately  Bart's  words  were  repeated  so  that  all 
those  assembled  could  hear  them,  and  Bart  found  that 
he  had  drawn  an  unenviable  amount  of  attention  on  him- 
self. 

"I  think  we  will  give  Cadet  Dunnerwust  a  rest,  and 
devote  some  of  our  valuable  time  and  attention  to  Cadet 
Hodge,"  observed  the  master  of  ceremonies.  "By  his 
language,  just  quoted,  it  is  evident  that  he  looks  upon  our 
noble  order  with  disfavor.  What  shall  be  done  with 
him?" 

"Run  him  through  the  mill !"  roared  more  than  a  score 
of  voices. 


Ghostly  Sounds.  123 

Instantly  Bart  was  seized  and  hustled  in  a  manner 
that  bewildered  him  and  took  away  his  breath.  From 
side  to  side  he  was  tossed,  and  when  he  stumbled  and 
would  have  fallen,  he  was  caught  up  and  kept  moving. 
He  tried  to  strike  out  in  defense,  but  his  blows  encoun- 
tered nothing  but  air.  His  teeth  were  clenched  and  his 
eyes  blazing  with  unutterable  fury,  yet  he  found  himself 
utterly  helpless  in  the  hands  of  the  masked  lads. 

"Oh,  you  shall  pay  dearly  for  this !"  he  panted. 

Then,  when  he  was  so  weak  that  his  legs  threatened 
to  give  way  beneath  him,  they  caught  him  up,  and,  before 
he  could  comprehend  their  scheme,  he  found  himself  on 
his  back  on  a  piece  of  sailcloth.  Around  the  sailcloth 
stood  a  circle  of  lads  who  grasped  the  edges. 

"Bounce  him !"  commanded  a  voice,  and  Bart  was 
tossed,  writhing  and  kicking,  into  the  air. 

Down  he  came  on  the  sailcloth,  and  up  he  went 
again,  before  he  could  get  his  breath.  Again  and  again, 
he  went  higher  with  each  toss,  till  he  touched  the  rafters 
away  up  toward  the  roof.  His  head  swam,  and  the 
breath  seemed  torn  and  jounced  from  his  lips.  A  feel- 
ing of  nausea  seized  him,  and  still  that  terrible  tossing 
went  on. 

When  it  was  all  over,  Bart  Hodge  was  too  weak  to 
stand,  and  much  of  his  spirit  had  been  taken  out  of  him 
for  the  time  being,  at  least.  He  was  pale  about  the 
mouth,  and  he  sank  in  a  nerveless  heap  to  the  floor. 

"Give  him  a  few  moments  to  get  his  breath,"  said  the 
leader.  "We'll  take  a  whirl  at  the  other  victim  now." 

Frank  knew  it  was  his  turn. 

"What  have  you  to  say  about  it,  Mr.  Merriwell?"  he 
was  asked. 

"Not  a  word,"  was  the  quiet  reply. 


124  Ghostly  Sounds. 

"I  suppose  you  mean  to  report  this  affair  to  Old 
Gunn." 

"Not  if  I  can  help  it,"  was  the  reply.  "I  am  not  in  the 
habit  of  telling  things  when  the  joke  is  on  me." 

"Do  you  mean  that  you  won't  tell?" 

"Not  unless  I  have  to." 

"He's  saying  that  so  you  will  go  light  with  him,"  came 
huskily  from  Bart.  "That's  his  little  game." 

"Well,  he  has  made  an  error  in  that  case,"  said  the 
leader.  "We  never  let  up  on  anybody.  The  fellow  who 
gets  into  Fardale  and  stays  here  has  to  take  the  regular 
course,  no  matter  who  he  is." 

Bart  laughed,  sneeringly: 

"It  didn't  work,  did  it,  Merriwell !"  he  cried. 

At  that  moment,  apparently  just  outside  the  door,  a 
dog  began  to  bark  loudly.  The  boys  looked  startled. 

"Wonder  whose  dog  that  is?"  speculated  one.  "Can 
it  be  somebody  is  prowling  around  here?" 

"The  sentries  have  given  us  no  warning." 

"That  must  be  a  stray  dog.  Somebody  drive  him 
away." 

The  door  was  opened,  and  the  barking  ceased,  but  not 
a  sign  of  a  dog  could  be  found. 

"Well,  he  scudded  away  quick,"  said  the  lad  who  had 
started  to  drive  him  away. 

He  closed  the  door,  and  barely  had  he  done  so  when 
the  dog  gave  a  most  dismal  and  mournful  howl. 

Quick  as  a  flash,  he  flung  the  door  open  and  jumped 
out,  but  not  a  sign  of  the  creature  supposed  to  be  close 
outside  could  he  discover,  and  he  re-entered  in  a  minute, 
looking  all  round  the  room,  and  showing  by  his  manner 
that  he  was  puzzled 


Ghostly  Sounds.  125 

The  instant  the  door  was  closed  that  mysterious  howl- 
ing- burst  forth  again. 

The  boys  looked  from  one  to  another  in  dismay. 

"What  in  thunder  is  the  meaning  of  it?"  muttered  one, 
"It  has  a  ghostly  sound." 

"That's  so,"  nodded  another.  "And  that  makes  me 
think  of  the  story  about  old  Jake  Henderson  being  mur- 
dered in  this  very  place.  His  dog  stayed  by  the  body 
and  howled  till  somebody  came.  When  Henderson  was 
buried,  the  dog  stayed  by  the  grave  night  and  day,  and 
howled  himself  to  death." 

"Perhaps  that  is  the  ghost  of  Henderson's  dog  that  we 
hear  howling  outside." 

The  suggestion  caused  more  than  one  to  shiver,  and 
the  laugh  that  followed  the  words  was  not  a  very  hearty 
one. 

"Who  believes  in  ghosts!"  cried  one  lad,  derisively. 

"That's   all   rot!     I'm  not  afraid Hark!    What's 

that?" 

They  listened,  and  the  sound  was  repeated — a  hollow, 
awful  groan.  Where  it  came  from  no  one  seemed  able 
to  tell. 

"Holy  Moses !"  gurgled  the  fellow  who  had  just  de- 
clared he  was  not  afraid  of  ghosts.  "I  don't  exactly  like 
the  sound  of  that." 

The  way  he  said  this,  and  the  change  in  his  manner, 
brought  a  burst  of  laughter  from  the  boys,  but  they 
hushed  quickly  when  the  groan  again  echoed  Hollowly 
through  the  room. 

"Jupiter!"  said  a  tall  boy.  "I  believe  it  comes  from 
the  roof." 


126  Ghostly  Sounds. 

"And  I  think  it  cuc-cuc-cuc-comes  from  under  the  fuf- 
fuf-fuf-floor,"  chattered  a  short  boy. 
"Listen !" 

"I  cannot  rest!  I  cannot  rest!  The  grave  is  dark 
and  cold." 

All  heard  the  words  distinctly,  and  more  than  one  felt 
his  hair  trying  to  stand  erect  on  his  head. 

"Great  Jupiter!"  whispered  an  unsteady  voice,  dis- 
tinctly heard  in  the  hush  that  followed.  "I  guess  it  is 
old  Henderson's  ghost  for  sure,  boys !" 

"Not  much !"  stoutly  declared  the  leader  of  the  hazers. 
"Henderson  was  most  illiterate.  He  never  said  'cannot* 
in  all  his  life.  He  would  have  said  'can't  rest.' " 

"Perhaps  he  has  been  studying  grammar  since  his  de- 
parture from  this  mundane  sphere,"  suggested  another 
fellow. 

"Some  one  is  trying  to  work  a  joke  on  us."  said  the 
leader,  with  decision.  "I  am  sure  of  it.  Six  of  you 
follow  me  lively,  and  we  will  see  if  we  can't  catch  the 
chap." 

Out  of  the  door  he  dashed,  and  he  was  quickly  fol- 
lowed by  the  required  number,  while  the  rest  remained 
and  discussed  Henderson's  murder  and  ghosts  in  general. 
Frank  Merriwell  was  taking  things  easy,  quite  satisfied 
by  his  success  in  diverting  attention  from  himself  for  the 
time,  for  it  was  he  who  had,  by  the  aid  of  his  ventriloquial 
powers,  produced  all  the  mysterious  sounds  that  had  been 
heard.  He  had  known  nothing  of  the  murder  of  Hender- 
son and  the  devotion  of  the  murdered  man's  dog.  It 
was  quite  by  chance  that  he  had  chosen  to  make  it  seem 
that  a  dogf  was  howling  at  the  door  of  the  boathouse. 
The  talk  that  had  followed  between  the  Jolly  Fiends  had 


Ghostly  Sounds.  127 

given  him  his  cue  to  work  upon,  and  he  had  succeeded 
to  his  complete  satisfaction. 

"What's  the  use  of  being  hazed,  if  you  can't  have  some 
fun  at  the  same  time?"  thought  Frank. 

The  party  who  had  gone  outside  were  absent  nearly 
ten  minutes,  when  they  returned,  looking  disgusted  and 
baffled. 

"What  did  you  find?"  was  the  question  that  greeted 
them. 

"Not  a  thing,"  they  replied.  "There's  no  one  any- 
where around  outside." 

"But  we  heard  the  voice  distinctly,  and  the  dog * 

From  just  beyond  the  door  a  long-drawn  howl  oi 
agony  seemed  to  proceed  from  the  throat  of  the  myste- 
rious dog. 

"Howl,  confound  you !"  grated  the  leader  of  the  Jolly 
Fiends.  "You  can't  howl  enough  to  scare  me  away! 
I'm  going  to  stay  right  here  till  these  plebes  are  put 
through  the  entire  course  of  sprouts.  That's  the  kind  of 
fellow  I  am." 

"And  I  am  going  to  see  what  your  face  looks  like!" 
shouted  Bart  Hodge.  "That's  the  kind  of  a  fellow  I 
am!" 

With  a  panther-like  spring,  he  reached  a  position  where 
he  could  snatch  the  mask  from  the  leader's  face,  and  this 
he  accomplished  with  astonishing  swiftness. 

The  face  revealed  was  that  of  Walter  Burrage,  corporal 
of  cadets ! 


CHAPTER  XX. 

BURRAGE     IN      A      BAD      FIX. 

"You  are  a  very  good-looking  fellow,"  sneered  the 
triumphant  Bart;  "but  this  night's  work  will  cost  you 
your  chevrons,  if  it  does  not  cause  you  to  be  expelled 
from  Fardale  Academy.  Oh,  you  won't  put  on  so  many 
airs  after  this !" 

Burrage  was  pale  and  not  a  little  frightened,  for  he 
realized  it  would  be  a  very  serious  thing  for  him  if  Hodge 
really  "blowed"  to  Professor  Gunn.  He  saw  he  was  in  a 
bad  scrape,  for  Bart  was  just  the  kind  of  a  fellow  to  re- 
port the  whole  matter,  and  he  was  the  sort  of  a  lad  who 
could  not  be  easily  frightened  out  of  anything  he  had 
made  up  his  mind  to  do. 

Frank  was  sorry  for  Burrage,  but  that  did  not  Help 
the  matter  any. 

"Look  here,  Mr.  Hodge,"  said  the  unmasked  hazer,  "I 
hope  you  do  not  mean  that  you  really  intend  to  blow?" 

"Well,  you  can  bet  your  life  I  do  mean  it!  Do  you 
fancy  I  am  the  kind  of  a  fellow  to  be  run  through  the 
mill  and  not  take  an  opportunity  to  get  square  ?" 

"I  thought  it  possible  you  might  not  wish  to  get  every 
cadet  in  the  academy  down  on  you,  as  they  certainly  will 
be  if  you  report  this  matter  to  Professor  Gunn." 

"That  kind  of  a  bluff  won't  go  with  me,"  was  Bart's 
haughty  retort.  "I  didn't  come  to  Fardale  to  be  made  a 
monkey  of,  and  I  am  going  to  stand  up  for  my  rights." 

"You  will  find  you  have  no  easy  life  to  live  here,  if  vou 
begin  by  blowing." 


Burrage  in  a  Bad  Fix.  129 

Bart  snapped  his  fingers  in  Burrage's  face. 

"I  tell  you  the  bluff  won't  go  with  me.  I've  got  you 
now,  and  I'll  pay  you  back  for  dragging  me  out  of  my 
bed  and  bringing  me  here  to  have  sport  with.  If  other 
fellows  who  come  here  and  are  hazed  would  show  a  "little 
more  spirit  and  'blow3  occasionally,  I  fancy  the  Jolly 
Fiends  would  soon  cease  to  exist" 

Burrage  was  desperate.  Hodge  had  insulted  him  by 
words  and  manner,  but  he  could  not  afford  to  resent  it, 
although  the  hot  blood  had  flushed  the  cheeks  that  were 
very  pale  a  few  seconds  before.  He  turned  appealingly 
to  Merriwell: 

"You  will  agree  not  to  blow,  won't  you,  Mr.  Merri- 
well?" he  asked. 

"Sure,"  replied  Frank,  cheerily.  "You  are  welcome  to 
all  the  fun  you  have  had  with  me.  Any  time  you  want 
to  haze  me  it  isn't  necessary  to  put  on  masks.  Just  send 
me  a  notification,  and  I  will  meet  you  anywhere.  I'm 
one  of  the  most  accommodating  fellows  you  ever  saw." 

"Three  cheers  for  Merriwell!"  shouted  one  of  the 
throng,  and  the  cheers  were  given. 

That  angered  Bart  Hodge  more  than  anything  else 
could  have  done. 

"Oh,  Merriwell  knows  how  to  work  his  cards!"  he 
sneered.  "He  is  playing  it  very  smooth." 

"You  can't  prove  anything  without  his  aid,  for  your 
word  is  no  better  than  mine/*  said  Burrage. 

"Is  that  so?  I  rather  think  you  have  forgotten  the 
other  fellow  who  has  suffered  at  your  hands  to-night." 

"Dunnerwust  ?" 

"Exactly.     He  will  substantiate  me." 

"I  don'd  know  vot  dot  vo-."  said  Hans;  "but  I  bets  me 
vravr  life  I  don'd  do  hire 


130  Burrage  in  a  Bad  Fix. 

"They  have  imposed  on  you  shamefully,  Dunner- 
wust,"  said  Hodge.  "I  want  you  to  go  with  me  to  Pro- 
fessor Gunn  and  tell  just  what  has  happened,  and  state 
that  Mr.  Burrage  here,  whose  mask  I  removed,  was  the 
leader." 

Hans  listened  with  his  mouth  open,  a  stolid  look  on  his 
fantastically  painted  face. 

"You  vant  me  to  do  dot,  hey  ?"  he  said. 

"Yes." 

"Veil,  I  von't." 

"What?" 

"I  don'd  vas  dot  kindt  uf  a  hairbin,"  declared  the 
Dutch  lad;  much  to  the  amazement  of  every  one.  "Dose 
vellers  raised  bardicular  fits  mit  me,  und  I  dink  I  lifes 
me  through  him  all  der  same.  Vot  for  I  plow  "to  der 
brof essor,  ain'd  id  ?  Pime-by  ven  I  geds  to  be  a  pig  gun 
mit  der  rest  uf  der  poys  I  vos  goin'  to  have  fun  mit  some 
odder  blebe.  You  can  subdanshiade  all  you  vans  to,  put 
you  don'd  get  Hans  Dunnerwust  to  do  some  of  dot  mit 
you." 

"Hurrah  for  Dunnerwust !"  was  the  cry,  and  Hans  was 
given  a  rousing  ovation. 

The  boys  had  not  counted  on  anything  of  this  kind 
from  the  Dutch  lad.  Burrage  had  thought  it  possible  he 
might  frighten  Hans  into  keeping  still,  in  case  he  could 
induce  Hodge  to  be  silent. 

The  stand  Hans  took  should  have  shamed  Hodge,  but 
it  did  not  seem  to  affect  him  any  further  than  to  make 
him  angry. 

"You're  a  bigger  fool  than  I  thought  you  werel"  he 
exclaimed,  savagely.  "I  don't  believe  you  know  enough 
to  come  in  when  it  rains!" 

"Dot  vos  all  righd.     You  vos  velcome  to  think  vot  you 


Burrage  in  a  Bad  Fix.  131 

blease,  und  I  do  der  same  mit  you.    Uf  I  vos  a  plamed 
fool,  I  don'd  peen  any  shneak." 

"Good  stuff!"  roared  the  boys.    "We'll  swear  by  you. 
after  this,  Dutchey." 

"You  see,  Hodge,"  said  Burrage,  "you  will  be  alone  in 
this  matter  if  you  report  it  Neither  Merriwell  nor  Dun- 
nervvust  will  help  you,  and " 

"I'll  tell  what  happened,  and  they  will  have  to  tell  the 
truth  or  a  lie,  in  case  they  are  questioned." 

What  course  of  "persuasion"  Burrage  would  have  re- 
sorted to  cannot  be  told,  for  at  this  moment  there  came 
the  sound  of  hurrying  feet  outside,  and  a  sharp,  peculiar 
rap  on  the  door. 

"The  danger  signal!"  cried  the  unmasked  cadet,  leap- 
ing to  the  door.  "Out  with  the  lights,  fellows !" 

The  order  was  obeyed,  and  the  interior  of  the  boat- 
house  was  plunged  into  darkness. 

Burrage  flung  open  the  door,  hastily  asking : 

"What's  up?" 

"There's  stirring  in  the  academy,"  wa?  the  panted  re- 
ply. "I*  is  likely  an  inspection  of  rooms  is  going  on." 

"Then  some  of  the  profs,  must  have  got  wind  of  some- 
thing," said  Burrage.  "We'll  have  to  hustle  in,  fellows, 
and  trust  to  luck  to  get  into  our  beds  without  detection." 

There  was  a  general  scurrying  out  of  the  boathouse, 
but  Burrage  waited  quietly  for  Hodge.  When  Bart  ap- 
peared, the  exposed  cadet  tackled  him  again,  telling  the 
others  to  leave  them. 

Exactly  what  passed  between  Hodge  and  Burrage  no- 
body but  themselves  could  have  told,  but  they  reached  the 
academy  almost  as  soon  as  most  of  the  others,  and  Bur- 
rage  whispered  to  a  companion  that  Bart  would  not  blow 
first  thing  in  the  morning. 


i}2  Burrage  in  a  Bad  Fix. 

At  the  signal  agreed  upon,  certain  windows  of  the 
academy  opened,  and  knotted  ropes  were  let  down  to  the 
boys,  the  most  of  whom  showed  a  skill  in  climbing  that 
betokened  considerable  experience. 

Much  to  their  relief,  the  boys  found  everything  quiet 
about  the  academy,  and,  one  by  one,  they  climbed  the 
ropes  and  stole  away  to  their  rooms. 

Hans  Dunnerwust  was  the  last  to  make  the  attempt  to 
get  up  the  rope,  and,  after  he  had  fallen  back  three  times, 
it  became  necessary  to  have  him  tie  it  about  his  body 
under  the  arms,  so  the  boys  above  could  pull  him  up  into 
the  window. 

"It  must  have  been  a  false  alarm,"  thought  Frank, 
when  he  found  himself  safely  in  his  room,  with  no  sign 
of  any  one  moving  about  the  academy  besides  the  cadets 
who  had  just  slipped  in. 

He  undressed  quietly,  and  got  into  bed,  Hodge  doing 
the  same.  No  words  passed  between  them. 

"Burrage  surely  is  in  a  bad  scrape,"  thought  Merri- 
well,  "for  Hodge  will  try  to  strike  a  blow  at  Inza  by 
having  her  brother  disgraced.  I  would  do  anything  for 
her,  and  I  wish  there  were  some  way  I  could  save  the 
fellow." 

But,  although  he  lay  awake  thinking  of  the  matter  for 
a  long  time,  he  could  not  seem  to  devise  any  scheme  for 
Burrage's  rescue. 

Yet  Burrage  was  to  be  saved  at  the  cost  of  more  than 
one  heart  pang  for  Frank. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

A    SURPRISE    FOR    FRANK. 

it  was  generally  conceded  by  the  boys  at  the  academy 
that  Burrage  was  in  "a  mighty  bad  box,"  for  it  seemed 
certain  that  Hodge  would  report  him  to  Old  Gunn,  in 
which  case  demerit  and  loss  of  chevrons  must  follow,  if 
nothing  of  a  more  serious  nature  resulted. 

Burrage  had  won  his  position  at  the  school  by  hard, 
persistent  work,  and  he  was  regarded  generally  as  de- 
serving of  the  stripes.  He  had  taken  an  active  interest 
in  all  kinds  of  sports  and  games,  being  captain  of  both 
the  baseball  team  and  the  football  team,  and  he  would 
be  missed  severely  If  he  were  expelled. 

"Hodge  will  never  be  able  to  stay  in  this  academy  if  he 
drives  Burrage  out,"  said  more  than  one. 

There  was  a  slight  feeling  of  relief  when  the  first  fore- 
noon passed  after  the  events  of  the  previous  night  at  the 
boathouse,  and  Burrage  was  not  called  to  account.  Still 
the  suspense  continued,  for  no  one  could  tell  when  the 
blow  would  fall. 

Some  of  the  cadets  tried  to  get  Hodge  aside  and  "have 
a  hack"  at  him,  but  he  craftily  avoided  anything  of  the 
kind,  seeming  well  satisfied  with  the  attention  he  was 
receiving  just  then. 

"These  fellows  are  beginning  to  realize  that  I  count  at 
this  school,  that  is  plain,"  he  chuckled  to  himself.  "If  I 
can  get  two  or  three  more  of  the  high  and  mighty  ones 
under  my  thumb,  it  is  possible  they  will  not  be  so  very 
lofty  and  overbearing." 


134  A  Surprise  for  Frank. 

Hodge  was  impatient  to  receive  his  uniform  and  be 
assigned. 

"I  do  not  think  much  of  this  herding  four  %i  a  room," 
he  declared,  in  the  presence  of  his  roommates.  "I  am 
not  used  to  it,  and  it  goes  against  my  grain." 

"Av  ye'll  spake  to  Oul'  Gunn,  it's  loikely  he'll  give  yez 
a  room  all  by  yersilf,"  said  Barney  Mulloy.  "Av  he  does, 
ye'll  niwer  be  missed  at  all,  at  all." 

"You're  altogether  too  free  with  your  lip,  Mulloy!" 
snapped  the  dark-eyed  lad.  "You  should  be  a  little  more 
respectful  when  addressing  your  betters." 

"Oi  am,  b'y ;  but  you're  not  on  th'  list." 

That  was  too  much  for  Bart's  fiery  temper. 

"You  and  Merriwell  make  a  good  pair!"  he  flashed. 
"He  is  just  the  sort  of  a  fellow  to  bunk  with  a  common 
Irishman." 

Now  Barney  had  a  temper  of  his  own,  for  all  that  he 
was  usually  jovial  and  light-hearted,  and  this  was  too 
much  for  him.  He  made  a  rush  at  Hodge,  and  there 
would  have  been  trouble  instantly  had  not  both  Frank 
and  Ned  intervened. 

"Don't  mind  him,"  said  Merriwell.  "It  is  not  likely 
we  will  all  be  in  one  room  many  days  longer,  and " 

"That's  right,"  cut  in  Bart.  "Nor  will  we  be  in  one 
company.  I  have  a  lap  on  you  fellows,  for  I  have  seen 
military  schools  before,  and  I  am  sure  of  being  assigned 
to  the  first  squad." 

"Av  yez  are,  Oi  hope  they'll  put  me  in  th'  last,"  mut- 
tered Barney.  "Oi  want  to  be  as  fur  from  yez  as  Oi 
can." 

Hodge  was  really  confident  that  his  knowledge  of  drill 
work  would  place  him  in  the  first  squad,  for  all  that  the 
•ystom  at  Fardale,  being  copied  after  that  in  vogue  at 


A  Surprise  for  Frank.  135 

West  Point,  was  much  more  rigid  and  difficult  than  any- 
thing he  had  previously  encountered. 

At  many  military  schools  in  this  country  the  strictly 
business  system  of  instruction  insisted  on  by  soldiers  is 
set  aside  for  something  of  .a  showy  nature,  but  something 
utterly  useless  except  for  the  purpose  of  display. 

Now  it  happened  that  Hodge's  previous  experience  had 
been  at  such  schools,  and,  instead  of  helping  him  on,  as 
he  expected,  what  he  had  already  learned  held  him  back, 
for  he  was  forced  to  unlearn  it  and  acquire  something 
entirely  different  and  at  variance. 

Repeatedly  he  declared  the  system  at  Fardale  was  en- 
tirely wrong,  and  it  did  not  change  his  view  in  this  re- 
spect at  all  to  be  assured  that  the  entire  manual  was  an 
accurate  copying  of  the  form  at  West  Point.  Such  being 
the  case,  Bart  declared  that  West  Point  must  be  old- 
fogyish  and  behind  the  times. 

Oh,  the  infinitely  superior  wisdom  of  some  fledglings! 

For  the  new  boys  at  Fardale  Academy  the  first  days 
were  wretched  and  exasperating.  It  was  a  case  of  drill, 
drill,  drill  all  the  time,  with  scarcely  any  let-up.  It 
seemed  that  the  yearlings  who  had  them  in  charge  took 
fiendish  delight  in  working  them  to  the  verge  of  endur- 
ance. They  were  forced  to  keep  twisting,  turning,  bend- 
ing and  extending  for  hours,  and  in  this  way  their  muscles 
were  sore  and  stiffened  at  first,  and  their  very  bones 
seemed  to  grow  lame.  Still  those  heartless  yearling> 
kept  them  at  it,  rising  on  tiptoe,  bending  double,  spring- 
ing up,  swaying  forward,  backward,  and  sideways,  work- 
ing, working,  working,  and  never  seeming  to  get  any  rest. 

It  did  not  take  much  of  this  to  convince  the  boys  that 
they  had  two  or  three  thousand  sore  muscles  in  their  body 
of  which  no  mention  could  be  found  in  physiology. 


136  A  Surprise  for  Frank. 

What  did  it  amount  to?  Why,  after  a  while  the  sore- 
ness began  to  wear  off,  and  they  found  that  they  could 
go  through  the  evolutions  much  easier  and  more  swiftly. 
The  awkward  squad  developed  into  youths  worthy  to  re- 
ceive uniforms. 

The  whole  school  seemed  to  breathe  easier  as  time 
slipped  away  and  Hodge  still  remained  silent  concerning 
his  experiences  at  the  boathouse.  For  two  or  three  days 
while  the  suspense  continued  the  plebes  surely  had  a 
much  easier  time  of  it  at  the  hands  of  their  cadet  instruc- 
tors. 

"Burrage  must  have  fixed  it  up  some  way  with  Hodge," 
was  the  final  decision.  "Either  that,  or  Hodge  is  not  so 
bad  a  fellow  as  he  seemed." 

Both  Burrage  and  Hodge  kept  silent  about  the  matter, 
and  it  proved  useless  to  question  them. 

By  his  roommates  Hodge  was  seen  smiling  over  a 
dainty  letter  he  had  received.  The  stationery  was  dis- 
tinctly feminine,  as  was  the  writing  upon  the  envelope, 
which  the  fellow  took  good  care  to  display. 

Merriwell  avoided  Hodge  as  much  as  possible.  He 
had  at  last  decided  that  Bart  was  a  churl,  and  he 
did  not  wish  to  have  anything  to  do  with  such  a  person. 
Knowing  that  he  could  not  endure  much  of  Hodge's  in- 
solence, he  tried  to  give  his  foe  little  opportunity  to  be 
insulting. 

All  through  his  first  week  at  the  academy  Frank  had 
longed  for  Saturday  to  arrive,  as  he  had  been  invited  to 
call  on  Inza  Burrage  on  the  afternoon  of  that  day.  He 
anticipated  a  most  pleasant  call,  well  knowing  how  wel- 
come he  would  be  in  the  eyes  of  the  girl's  parents,  who 
regarded  the  savior  of  their  daughter  from  the  fangs  of 
a  rabid  dog  as  a  young  knight  of  modern  times 


A  Surprise  for  Frank.  137 

The  day  came  round  at  last,  and  Frank  dressed  himself 
m  his  best,  taking  the  greatest  pains  to  note  that  his  linen 
was  immaculate,  his  cravat  tastily  tied,  his  clothes 
brushed,  his  shoes  polished,  and  his  soft  hat  crushed  with 
a  careless  air.  He  spent  a  long  time  before  the  mirror. 

Hodge  left  the  academy  nearly  an  hour  before  Frank, 
:tn<d  he  was  also  dressed  in  his  best,  although  his  taste  ran 
to  the  flashy,  and  he  did  not  display  anything  like  Merri- 
well's  good  taste. 

Having  passed  outside  of  the  beautiful  grounds  that 
surrounded  the  academy  buildings,  Frank  stepped  off 
briskly  toward  Fardale,  whistling  a  cheery  tune.  It  was 
a  bright,  sunshiny  afternoon,  and  he  was  in  high  spirits. 
At  times  he  could  not  restrain  the  boyish  inclination  to 
hop  and  skip,  like  a  gamboling  lamb,  but  he  made  sure  he 
was  out  of  sight  of  the  academy  before  indulging  in  any 
such  antics. 

Reaching  the  quiet  little  village,  he  walked  along  the 
tree-shaded  streets  till  'he  came  to  Inza  Burrage's  home. 
A  handsome  carriage  and  a  spirited,  well-groomed  horse 
stood  in  front  of  the  house.  A  boy  was  holding  the 
horse. 

Barely  giving  this  turn-out  a  glance,  Frank  ran  up  the 
steps  and  rang  the  bell. 

After  a  brief  delay,  a  maid  appeared  at  the  door. 

"Is  Miss  Burrage  at  home?"  asked  Frank. 

"She  is,"  was  the  reply. 

"Please  give  her  my  card." 

He  placed  a  neat  card  in  the  maid's  fingers,  at  the  same 
rime  stepping  into  the  hall.  To  his  surprise,  he  was  re- 
quested to  wait  there. 

"Well,  this  is  an  odd  reception,"  he  thought,  as  he 
stood  stiffly  in  the  hall,  awaiting  the  return  of  the  maid. 


138  A  Surprise  for  Frank. 

The  young  woman  was  not  gone  long.  In  a  very  brief 
space  of  time  she  returned,  and  said : 

"Miss  Inza  begs  to  be  excused  to-day.  She  has  callers 
at  present,  and  cannot  see  you." 

"Cannot  see  me?"  repeated  Frank,  rather  dazed. 

"No,  sir." 

He  seemed  stunned  as  he  turned  away.  Nothing  in 
the  world  could  have  been  more  unexpected  than  this. 
She  had  invited  him  to  call,  and  now  she  declined  to  see 
him.  What  did  it  mean  ? 

He  stepped  out  of  the  door  and  heard  it  close  behind 
him.  For  a  moment  he  stood  irresolutely  on  the  step, 
beginning  to  believe  it  was  all  a  mistake.  She  had  not 
refused  to  see  him — it  was  not  possible.  For  a  moment 
he  was  tempted  to  ring  the  bell  again  and  demand  to 
receive  further  assurance  that  Miss  Burrage  would  not 
see  him ;  then  he  realized  what  a  breach  of  propriety  that 
would  be,  and  he  slowly  descended  the  steps.  As  he  did 
so,  he  fancied  he  heard  some  one  laugh  within  the  parlor. 

That  laugh  sounded  as  if  it  came  from  the  lips  of  Bart- 
iey  Hodge! 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
CUT! 

The  boy  who  was  holding  the  horse  grinned  as  Frank 
reached  the  sidewalk  and  turned  away.  The  urchin 
seemed  to  suspect  or  know  the  truth. 

"Refused  to  see  me !"  muttered  Frank,  as  he  turned 
away,  without  casting  a  look  back.  "Who  would  have 
thought  such  a  thing  possible !  But  it  is  like  a  girl !"  he 
added,  bitterly.  "They  are  all  changeable  and  fickle !" 

Had  he  glanced  back  he  would  have  been  further  humil- 
iated by  seeing  Bartley  Hodge  smiling  triumphantly  at 
him  from  one  of  the  parlor  windows. 

For  some  time  he  walked  along  like  one  dazed,  paying 
little  heed  to  his  surroundings.  Finally  he  aroused  him- 
self with  a  start,  gave  himself  a  shake,  and  said : 

"I'll  be  hanged  if  I  will  make  a  fool  of  myself  over 
any  girl !  I  will  show  Miss  Burrage  that  I  am  not  all 
broken  up." 

Feeling  the  necessity  of  action,  exercise,  something  to 
stir  him  up  and  make  him  forget  what  had  just  taken 
place,  he  inquired  the  way  to  the  nearest  liverystable, 
where  he  asked  for  the  best  saddle  horse  to  be  obtained. 

"I  want  one  with  plenty  of  life  and  spirit,"  he  said. 

"There's  one  with 'plenty  of  life  and  spirit,"  said  the 
hostler,  indicating  a  handsome  black  gelding  in  a  box 
stall ;  "but  you  can't  ride  him." 

"Why  not?" 

"Can't  handle  him." 


140  Cut! 

That  touched  Frank,  for  he  was  a  most  expert  horse- 
man, and  he  had  broken  more  than  one  vicious  animal. 

"I  want  that  horse." 

"Why,  you  are  crazy !"  cried  the  hostler.  "There  is  but 
one  man  in  Fardale  who  can  ride  him." 

"If  there  is  one,  that  is  quite  enough.  Can  you  put  the 
saddle  on  him,  or  shall  I  ?" 

"I  can  saddle  him,  but  I  won't  let  a  young  fellow  like 
you  have  him.  I'm  not  going  to  murder  you !" 

"Where  is  the  proprietor?" 

"Wtat  do  you  want?" 

"I  want  that  horse,  and  I  am  going  to  have  him,  if 
money  will  hire  him." 

The  proprietor  happened  to  be  in  the  office,  and,  hear- 
ing these  words,  he  came  out.  When  he  looked  Frank 
over,  he  shook  his  head,  saying: 

"I  don't  dare  let  you  have  that  horse,  young  man.  He 
will  throw  you  as  fast  as  you  can  get  into  the  saddle." 

"If  he  throws  me  once,  I'll  agree  not  to  make  another 
attempt  to  ride  him,  and  I  will  pay  you  ten  dollars  for 
the  privilege  of  getting  into  the  saddle.  Here  is  the 
money,  which  I  will  deposit  with  you  now,  with  the  under- 
standing that  it  is  yours  if  he  throws  me  once,  and  you 
are  to  take  the  regular  pay  for  the  use  of  him  in  case  I 
succeed  in  riding  him." 

The  man  looked  at  the  bright  new  ten-dollar  bill  and 
hesitated.  Finally  he  took  the  money,  and  said : 

"All  right,  young  fellow,  you  may  try  your  luck ;  but  I 
have  warned  vou,  and  I  will  not  be  held  responsible.  I 
hope  he  will  not  kill  you  when  he  throws  you." 

At  first  glance  Frank  had  seen  that  the  horse  was  not 
a  vicious  beast  The  animal  had  not  been  broken  prop- 


Cut!  ui 

erly,  and,  having  thrown  almost  every  one  who  had  at- 
tempted to  ride  him,  he  felt  it  his  duty  to  keep  it  up. 

Had  the  creature  been  vicious,  he  would  not  have  per- 
mitted the  hostler  to  strap  on  the  saddle  with  scarcely 
any  trouble. 

Frank  was  not  dressed  for  riding,  but  in  his  present 
state  of  mind,  he  did  not  mind  that.  He  wanted  some- 
thing to  take  up  his  mind  and  make  him  forget  what 
had  just  happened,  and  he  was  eager  for  the  struggle 
with  the  horse. 

When  the  saddle  was  properly  adjusted  and  everything 
was  ready,  Frank  procured  a  riding  whip  and  prepared 
to  mount.  The  horse  turned  its  head,  and  watched  him 
suspiciously  out  of  the  corner  of  its  eye. 

"I'll  try  to  hold  him  till  you  get  into  the  saddle,"  said 
the  hostler,  keeping  at  the  bit. 

Frank  smiled,  for  he  saw  the  man  was  frightened. 

"You  needn't  bother  to  hold  him,"  he  said.  "Give  me 
the  bit,  and  stand  aside." 

He  took  the  horse  by  the  bit,  but  did  not  waste  a  mo- 
ment in  attempting  to  soothe  or  fondle  the  creature.  The 
hostler  and  the  proprietor  were  astounded  to  see  him  give 
the  bit  a  wrench  that  sat  the  animal  back  on  its  haunches, 
and  then,  before  the  beast  could  recover,  he  was  on  its 
back.  When  the  horse  lunged  to  its  feet  Frank  Merri- 
well  was  sitting  securely  in  the  saddle. 

With  a  wild  squeal,  the  animal  shot  like  a  rocket  out 
of  the  stable. 

A  number  of  the  villagers  had  gathered  about  to  see  the 
fun.  Some  were  grinning  in  expectation,  and  some  were 
saying  it  was  a  shame  to  let  the  boy  risk  his  life  in  such 
s.  manner,  while  yet  others  declared  Frank  a  fool  and 
rather  hoped  he  would  be  seriously  injured. 


142  Cut! 

At  two  leaps  the  black  gelding  cleared  the  stable  and 
reached  the  center  of  the  road,  where  he  stopped  with  his 
forward  feet  braced  and  his  back  humped,  his  head  going 
down.  Everybody  expected  to  see  the  boy  s:hoot  out  of 
the  saddle  and  fly  headlong  to  the  ground,  but  nothing  of 
the  kind  occurred.  As  if  glued  to  the  horse,  Frank  re- 
mained securely  in  the  saddle. 

Probably  nobody  was  more  astonished  than  was  the 
horse.  The  creature  had  expected  to  unseat  Frank  at 
the  first  effort,  but,  instead  of  that,  it  felt  itself  soundly 
cut  by  the  whip,  while  the  strange  youth  stiii  remained 
securely  and  firmly  on  its  back. 

Again  a  wild  squeal  came  from  the  horse,  and  then 
the  staring  villagers  saw  a  battle  royal  between  the  boy 
and  the  beast,  for  the  creature  did  everything  possible  to 
unseat  Frank  without  lying  down  and  rolling  over,  but 
the  boy  would  not  be  shaken,  and  the  whip  continued  to 
score  the  glossy  hide  of  the  obstinate  animal. 

It  took  several  minutes  of  this  to  convince  the  horse 
that  it  had  met  its  master,  and  then,  of  a  sudden,  the 
creature  gave  in. 

The  crowd  cheered  admiringly  as  the  boy  rode  away 
In  triumph,  now  speaking  soothingly  to  the  excited  horse, 
and  stroking  its  neck. 

This  battle  had  sent  Frank's  blood  leaping  in  his  veins, 
and,  for  the  time,  he  entirely  forgot  Inza  Burrage  and  her 
refusal  to  see  him. 

Not  for  long,  however. 

He  had  finally  gotten  the  splendid  horse  fully  under 
control  and  quieted  down  when  he  observed  coming 
toward  him  the  very  horse  he  had  seen  the  boy  holding 
in  front  of  Inza's  house. 


Cut!  143 

In  the  carriage  sat  Inza  herself,  with  Bartley  Hodge 
triumphantly  driving  at  her  side. 

Frank  paled,  and  the  hot  blood  poured  to  his  cheeks. 
A  feeling  of  bitter  anger  and  resentment  swept  over  him. 

So  this  was  why  she  had  refused  to  see  him !  She 
had  forgotten  the  past,  and  once  more  accepted  Bart 
Hodge  in  preference  to  him!  Had  there  been  a  side 
street  near,  he  would  have  wheeled  into  it,  and  thus  es- 
caped meeting  him,  but  there  was  nothing  of  the  sort,  and 
he  could  not  make  up  his  mind  to  turn  squarely  about 
before  their  very  faces. 

"I'll  have  to  face  it  out !"  he  grated,  through  his  teeth. 

Now,  Frank  Merriwell  was  too  much  the  gentleman 
to  openly  show  resentment,  so,  when  the  carriage  came 
Jaear,  he  lifted  his  hat  with  all  the  grace  and  courtesy  he 
tould  command. 

Inza  Burrage  gave  him  a  flitting  glance,  her  face  quite 
pale,  and  coldly  turned  away. 

She  had  publicly  cut  him ! 

Bart  Hodge  grinned  sneeringly,  and  the  carriage 
rolled  past. 

All  the  angry  color  fled  from  Frank  Merriwell's  cheeks, 
and  he  turned  pale  once  more.  This  was  almost  more 
than  he  could  endure,  and  it  was  by  exercising  the  utmost 
of  his  self-control  that  he  held  himself  in  check  at  that 
moment. 

What  followed  during  the  next  hour  afterward  seemed 
something  like  a  dream  to  him.  He  remembered  that  he 
lashed  the  horse  unmercifully,  and  rode  at  a  mad  gallop 
somewhere,  anywhere.  His  brain  seemed  in  a  tumult 
and,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  he  felt  that  he  had  an 
enemy  whom  he  would  rejoice  to  strangle.  Had  he  met 
Bart  Hodge  alone  in  the  open  country  while  in  this 


144 

mood,  a  serious  encounter  must  have  taken  place  be- 
tween them. 

At  length  the  cool  breeze  fanned  his  cheeks  till  he  be- 
came calmer,  and  he  turned  back  along  a  new  road  that 
led  toward  the  village. 

He  felt  that  he  desired  never  to  see  Inza  Burrage 
again.  He  could  feel  nothing  but  scorn  and  contempt 
for  a  girl  who  would  thus  treat  one  who  had  saved  her 
life  at  the  risk  of  his  own. 

And  he  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  strangle 
Hodge  if  the  fellow  ever  spoke  of  the  matter  in  his  pres- 
ence. Growing  calmer  and  calmer,  he  rode  on  till  the 
village  was  close  at  hand. 

Far  away  along  the  railroad  he  heard  the  whistle  of  the 
afternoon  express,  which  did  not  stop  at  Fardale,  but 
went  whizzing  through  at  top  speed.  The  train  was  in 
sight  when  he  was  startled  to  hear  a  faint  clatter  of  hoofs, 
the  rattle  of  wheels,  and  a  feminine  scream  of  terror. 

The  voice  was  that  of  a  girl  he  knew  very  well — Inz.? 
Burrage ! 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

SAVED ! 

Parallel  with  the  road  along  which  Frank  Merriwell 
was  riding  ran  another  road,  and,  just  as  the  railroad 
was  reached,  the  two  roads  united  like  the  upper  forks 
of  a  great  Y,  only  they  came  together  with  a  sweep,  like 
the  bottom  of  the  letter  U. 

Down  this  other  road  a  runaway  horse  was  plunging, 
dragging  a  rocking,  swaying  carriage,  in  which  were 
clinging  two  persons. 

It  was  the  team  Bart  Hodge  had  hired  at  the  village 
livery  stable,  and  the  occupants  of  the  carriage  were 
Bart  Hodge  and  Inza  Burrage. 

The  horse  had  become  frightened  and  unmanageable, 
and  Hodge  -had  lost  his  head  and  lost  control  of  the 
animal,  which  was  carrying  him  and  his  companion 
straight  toward  the  railroad  crossing. 

Frank  saw  all  this  at  a  glance,  and  he  saw  that  a  terri- 
ble catastrophe  seemed  almost  sure  to  take  place.  One 
swift  look  had  told  him  that  the  runaway  would  reach 
the  crossing  at  nearly  the  same  instant  the  engine  of  the 
express  went  whizzing  along. 

"They  will  be  killed!"  gasped  the  boy  on  the  black 
gelding. 

And  then,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  he  flew  to  action. 

With  his  whip  he  cut  the  horse  he  bestrode,  and  sent 
the  creature  straight  at  the  fence  at  one  side  of  the  road. 

The  spirited  horse  rode  beautifully  to  the  structure, 


146  Saved! 


clearing  it  in  a  manner  that  would  have  filled  Frank  v-'ith 
admiration  under  other  circumstances. 

Across  the  narrow  field  that  separated  the  two  forks 
of  the  road  he  cut  at  an  angle  that  was  intended  to  inter- 
cept the  runaway. 

Bart  Hodge  saw  the  terrible  peril  that  menaced  himself 
and  his  fair  companion,  and  he  sawed  madly  at  the  reins, 
but  without  avail,  as  the  runaway  had  the  bit  in  its  teeth 
and  would  not  be  stopped. 

The  engineer  of  the  express,  from  a  distance,  saw  the 
runaway,  and  the  engine  whistle  sent  out  a  frantic  signal 
of  "down  breaks." 

"They  can't  stop !"  muttered  the  lad  on  the  horse.  "It 
is  impossible!" 

Cut!  cut!  cut!  went  the  whip,  and  the  handsome 
horse  fairly  flew  across  the  field. 

Frank's  heart  was  in  his  mouth. 

"How  can  I  save  them?  How  can  I  save  them?"  he 
kept  asking  himself.  "The  runaway  horse  will  be  too 
near  the  crossing  for  me  to  stop  him.  How  can  I  save 
them?" 

And  then  he  witnessed  an  act  that  made  his  blood  boil 
with  indignation. 

Finding  he  could  not  stop  the  horse,  and  seeing  the 
animal  was  almost  certain  to  reach  the  crossing  just  in 
time  to  be  hurled  to  death,  Bart  Hodge  rose  in  the  wagon 
and  jumped  out,  striking  on  his  feet,  but  whirling  over 
and  over  into  the  ditch. 

"Served  him  right  if  it  broke  his  neck,  the  coward !" 
grated  Frank. 

He  did  not  give  Hodge  a  second  glance,  but,  selecting 
a  low  piece  of  fence,  he  gave  his  entire  attention  to  the 
object  of  reaching  the  road  ahead  of  the  runaway. 


Saved!  147 

Toot !  toot !  toot !  shrieked  the  engine  of  the  express. 

Once  more  the  horse  Frank  bestrode  rose  handsomely 
to  the  fence.  Over  it  he  went,  without  touching  any- 
where. 

Frank  had  seen  Inza  gazing  at  him  appealingly,  her 
face  ashen  with  terror,  and,  as  the  horse  made  the  leap, 
he  shouted: 

"Obey  me,  and  I  will  save  you ! 

He  could  not  be  sure  she  understood,  but  he  sincerely 
hoped  so,  for  he  felt  that  her  life  depended  on  her  under- 
standing and  having  nerve  and  strength  to  obey  his  com- 
mand. 

He  reached  the  road  a  bit  in  front  of  the  runaway,  and 
promptly  reined  his  horse  toward  the  crossing.  Then, 
looking  over  >hi's  shoulder,  he  held  the  animal  in  check 
sufficiently  for  the  runaway  to  drag  the  swaying  carriage 
alongside. 

"Ready,  Miss  Burrage !"  rang  out  Frank's  voice,  clear 
and  strong,  for  all  that  the  engine  of  rlie  express  seemed 
right  upon  them.  "Now — rise  up — jump !" 

She  heard  him — she  obeyed!  His  arms  were  out- 
stretched, and  it  was  not  very  far  from  the  carriage  to 
their  clasp.  She  jumped,  and  fate  was  very  kind  to  her 
just  then,  for  she  landed  fairly  in  his  clasp,  and  he  held 
her  there,  without  being  unseated,  a  thing  he  could  not 
have  done  had  he  not  been  a  perfect  horseman. 

Clinging  fast  to  his  precious  burden  with  one  arm, 
Frank  swiftly  caught  at  the  rein  with  his  free  hand.  By 
chance  more  than  by  good  judgment,  he  caught  the 
proper  side  to  draw  the  horse  from  the  point  of  danger, 
and  the  creature  bearing  the  double  burden  swept  round 
the  bend  of  the  great  U,  without  attempting  to  cross  the 
track. 


148  Saved! 

Not  so  the  runaway.  Straight  upon  the  track  plunged 
the  mad  horse.  There  was  a  crash  that  was  heard  above 
the  sound  of  the  wheels,  which  were  grinding  and  sliding 
along  the  sanded  rails,  and  the  unfortunate  runaway  was 
hurled  to  its  death,  while  the  carriage  was  shivered  to 
hundreds  of  pieces. 

But  Inza  Burrage  was  saved !  Saved  by  the  brave  lad 
she  'had  cut  and  ignored  a  short  time  before. 

A  second  time  she  owed  her  life  to  Frank  Merriwell. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

HONORS    FOR .  THE     HERO. 

It  is  not  strange  that,  after  the  passing  of  the  first 
great  wave  of  thankfulness,  Frank  Merriwell  should 
thrill  with  triumph  and  exultation. 

What  a  grand  revenge  was  his !  He  had  been  humili- 
ated that  day  before  Bart  Hodge,  but  he  felt  that  he  was 
more  than  even  now. 

He  looked  down  at  the  pale  face  of  the  beautiful  girl, 
and  he  saw  her  great  dark  eyes  were  fixed  steadily  on 
'him,  and  in  their  depth  was  a  look  that  bespoke  un- 
bounded thankfulness  and  admiration. 

"You  are  safe,  Miss  Burrage,"  he  said,  when  he  saw 
that  she  had  not  fainted.  "There  is  no  longer  any 
danger." 

"The  horse " 

"Was  killed  by  the  express." 

She  shuddered. 

"And  I  should  have  been  killed  if  I  had  remained  in 
the  carriage !  I  should  have  been  killed  but  for  you,  for 
I  did  not  have  strength  to  jump  out.  I  did  not  have 
strength  to  do  anything  but  cling  to  the  seat  till  I  heard 
your  voice,  so  clear  and  confident  and  commanding.  That 
gave  me  strength,  and  I  did  as  you  bade  me." 

"Which  was  indeed  fortunate,  as  I  could  not  have  saved 
you  otherwise — I  could  not  reach  you.  It  was  impossi- 
ble to  check  that  mad  horse." 

"And  you  did  not  hesitate  to  do  all  this  for  me  after — 
after " 


I5O  Honors  for  the  Hero. 

He  knew  what  she  meant,  and  his  face  hardened  a  bit, 
telling  that  a  wound  was  still  open  in  his  heart. 

"It  was  my  duty.  I  would  have  tried  to  do  as  much 
for  my  worst  enemy." 

A  shadow  came  to  her  pretty  face. 

"Then  it  was  not  for  me  in  particular  that  you  ven- 
tured so  much.  I  had  no  right  to  expect  it,  but  you  will 
understand  soon.  I  can  never  see  that  Bartley  Hodge 
again — never!  I  hope  he  was  not  hurt,  but,  after  this, 
I  will  not  be  forced  into  anything  against  my  will." 

Frank  caught  eagerly  at  her  words. 

"Forced?"  he  repeated.  "What  do  you  mean  by  that? 
Were  you  forced  into  anything  ?  Were  you  compelled  to 
accept  the  attentions  of  Hodge  and  cut  me?  It  cannot 
be  your  parents " 

"My  parents  had  nothing  to  do  with  it.  You  know  my 
brother  got  into  a  bad  scrape  at  the  academy — Hodge 
could  have  caused  his  expulsion.  Walter  knew  Hodge 
fancied  me  a  little,  and  he  besought  me  to  save  him.  I 
wrote  Hodge  a  letter,  entreating  him  to  spare  my  brother, 
and  he  agreed,  but  I  was  forced  to  make  very  bitter  terms 
with  him,  as  he  demanded  that  I  decline  to  see  you  again 
and  cut  you  in  public.  I — I  love  my  brother " 

Frank  saw  she  was  breaking  down,  and  he  cut  in 
swiftly: 

"Say  no  more,  Miss  Burrage;  I  understand  it  all,  and 
I  cannot  blame  you." 

"You  forgive  me?" 

"I  do,  Miss  Burrage." 

"Call  me  Inza,  please." 

"Inza!" 

The  way  he  spoke  the  name  carried  the  blood  to  her 
cheeks  and  temples,  and  it  was  by  a  mighty  effort  of  will 


Honors  for  the  Hero.  151 

that  the  boy  crushed  back  a  great  desire  to  kiss  her  then 
and  there,  regardless  of  the  many  eyes  he  knew  must  be 
watching  them. 

She  must  have  read  this  fact  in  his  eyes,  for  she  half- 
whispered  : 

"I  will  be  at  home  when  you  call  next  time — Frank !" 

His  arms  were  still  about  her,  and  he  held  her  close  to 
his  beating  heart.  Between  them  there  was  now  a  perfect 
understanding. 

And  now,  suddenly  returning  to  a  full  realization  of 
their  surroundings,  he  held  her  securely  with  one  arm, 
while  he  reined  the  gallant  horse  with  the  other  hand, 
whirling  squarely  about  in  the  road,  and  returning  to- 
ward the  railway. 

The  express  had  come  to  a  full  stop,  but,  finding  noth- 
ing more  serious  than  the  killing  of  the  runaway  horse 
and  the  smashing  of  the  carriage  had  taken  place,  it  was 
already  starting  onward  again. 

A  crowd  of  people  was  swiftly  collecting  about  the 
remains  of  the  horse  and  carriage,  and  men  and  women 
were  running  toward  the  scene  of  the  catastrophe  from 
all  directions. 

It  is  astonishing  how  swiftly,  even  in  a  small  country 
village,  a  crowd  will  collect  when  anything  like  a  fire  or 
a  serious  accident  takes  place. 

Some  of  the  people  were  hurrying  along  the  road 
toward  the  boy  on  the  horse  and  the  rescued  girl.  A, 
man  in  a  carriage  was  driving  toward  them,  and,  as  she 
saw  them,  Inza  said : 

"It  is  Dr.  Haskell.    He  must  have  seen  the  accident." 

This  was  true.    Dr.  Haskell  drove  up,  crying : 

"Young  man,  you  shall  have  a  medal  of  honor  for 
saving  life!  That  was  the  bravest  and  noblest  act  I 


152  Honors  for  the  Hero. 

ever  saw  in  all  my  life !  It  was  astonishing — wonderful — 
amazing!  Give  me  that  girl — put  her  right  into  this 
carriage.  I  will  take  her  home!  It  was  wonderful — 
astonishing — amazing !"  he  repeated,  with  excitement  and 
admiration. 

Frank  was  not  a  little  reluctant  to  let  Inza  leave  hi 
arms,  but  he  saw  that  it  was  best,  and  so,  riding  close  to 
the  doctor's  carriage,  he  handed  her  over  to  his  ardent 
admirer. 

As  the  doctor  assisted  her  to  a  seat  by  his  side,  he  said : 

"This  young  gentleman  saved  you  from  being  in- 
stantly killed,  Miss  Inza." 

"And  he  is  the  one  who  saved  me  from  being  bitten  by 
the  mad  dog,"  she  explained. 

"Is  that  so?"  shouted  the  delighted  and  admiring 
doctor.  "Then  he  ought  to  have  two  medals — by  thunder, 
he  had !  An  account  of  both  deeds  shall  be  sent  to  Con- 
gress, and  we  will  see  if  they  will  not  award  him  a 
medal.  Yes,  we  will !" 

Frank  was  blushing  like  a  schoolgirl,  and  he  could 
not  say  a  word. 

"Give  me  your  hand,  my  lad!"  continued  the  effusive 
physician.  "I  am  proud  to  shake  hands  with  the  bravest 
boy  I  ever  saw !" 

Dr.  Haskell  nearly  wrung  Frank's  hand  off  in  his  ex- 
citement. 

The  crowd  was  beginning  to  gather  around  them,  and, 
feeling  confused  and  abashed,  Merriwell  said : 

"I  think  I  will  take  this  horse  to  the  stable,  doctor. 
Good-by  for  the  present,  Miss  Burrage." 

She  bade  him  remember  his  promise  to  call ;  and  then 
he  touched  the  horse  with  his  whip  and  cantered  away. 

The  crowd  near  the  crossing  where  the  accident  took 


Honors  for  the  Hero.  153 

place  saw  him  coming,  and  they  stared  at  him  till  he  was 
near  at  hand,  and  then  a  big  man  with  a  big  voice 
shouted : 

"Three  cheers  for  him !    Hip,  hip,  hurrah !" 
"Hurrah !  hurrah !  hurrah !."  roared  the  crowd. 
Frank  bowed  his  acknowledgment,  still  blushing  furi- 
ously and  rode  onward. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

ON   TOP. 

In  the  meantime,  Bart  Hodge  had  picked  himself  up 
from  the  ditch  into  which  he  had  rolled  after  his  cow- 
ardly act  in  leaping  from  the  carriage  and  leaving  his 
companion  to  her  fate.  Although  he  had  received  some 
severe  bruises  and  abrasions,  not  a  bone  had  been  broken. 

"Oh,  Lord !  what  have  I  done  ?"  he  gasped,  a^  he  stood 
staring  after  the  runaway,  expecting  to  see  Inza  carried 
to  her  death.  "Why  didn't  I  grab  her  and  take  her  along 
when  I  jumped!" 

Then  he  saw  Frank  Merriwell,  saw  the  black  horse 
and  gallant  rider  sail  over  the  fence,  saw  them  reach  the 
side  of  the  carriage,  and  witnessed  the  rescue. 

It  is  but  fair  to  say  that  Bart  was  madly  eager  for 
Frank  to  save  the  girl,  for  he  knew  how  much  scorn 
and  blame  would  fall  on  him  if  she  were  killed  by  the 
express,  and,  besides  that,  he  was  not  vile  enough  to 
have  little  care  whether  Inza  was  killed  or  not,  so  long 
as  he  was  safe. 

For  all  of  various  reprehensible  traits  of  his  nature, 
Bartley  Hodge  was  not  irredeemably  bad  by  any  means, 
He  was  passionate  and  vengeful,  and,  in  times  of  peril, 
he  was  likely  to  lose  his  head  and  do  the  wrong  thing, 
as  he  had  done  in  this  case.  But,  now  that  it  was  done 
and  there  was  no  way  of  undoing  it,  Bart  would  have 
given  anything  in  his  power  had  he  remained  in  the  car- 
riage and  either  saved  Inza  or  met  death  with  her. 

"What  will  they  think  of  me?"  he  muttered,  bitterly. 


On  Top.  155 

"What  will  people  say  ?  They  will  call  me  a  coward,  and 
they  will  pronounce  Merriwell  a  hero!  What  made  me 
jump  without  her!  Oh,  I  was  a  fool,  and  I  hate  myself 
for  it !" 

He  saw  the  express  come  .to  a  stop,  and  saw  the  crowd 
collecting. 

"I  can  never  face  them,"  he  muttered,  as  he  slipped 
the  fence  and  skulked  away.  "I  must  keep  out  of  sight." 

He  did  not  go  to  the  livery  stable  where  he  had  hired 
the  team. 

"I  will  just  drop  him  a  note,  and  say  the  governor'll 
pay  for  the  turn-out,"  he  decided.  "Oh,  but  won't  the 
old  man  cut  up  when  he  hears  what  has  happened !" 

And  so,  keeping  out  of  sight  as  mwch  as  possible,  he 
made  his  way  back  to  the  academy,  where  Frank  found 
him  in  his  room  some  time  later. 

Hodge  expected  that  Merriwell  would  show  his  tri- 
umph, but,  to  his  surprise,  the  boy  whom  the  whole  town 
of  Fardale  was  praising  as  a  noble  hero  made  no  out- 
ward show  of  exultation  or  triumph. 

"Jingoes!"  thought  Hodge.  "He's  got  a  queer  way 
of  rubbing  it  in,  but  it  hurts  just  the  same.  I  rather 
wish  he  would  be  a  little  different.  He  doesn't  act  as  if 
he  considers  me  worth  his  scorn." 

But  Bart  was  to  suffer  enough  when  the  story  was  gen- 
erally known  at  the  academy,  which  happened  before 
nightfall.  He  found  himself  scorned  and  held  in  con- 
tempt, while  Merriwell  was  honored  and  regarded  as  a 
hero. 

Bart's  sensitive  soul  was  almost  crushed  by  this ;  but 
he  quickly  started  a  story  that  he  had  not  jumped  from 
the  carriage,  but  had  been  thrown  out  by  its  swayings  as 


156  On  Top. 

he  was  rising  to  get  a  better  hold  on  the  reins.  This  he 
insisted  was  the  truth. 

Immediately  Merriwcll  was  questioned  on  this  point. 
When  asked  if  Bart's  statement  was  true,  he  said: 

"I  do  not  know.  It  may  be,  and  I  hope  it  is,  for  I  do 
not  wish  to  think  any  fellow  would  desert  a  girl  under 
similar  circumstances." 

But  Bart  felt  the  disgrace  so  keenly  that,  when  writing 
his  father  to  send  a  check  in  payment  for  the  destroyed 
team,  he  asked  to  be  taken  out  of  Fardale  Academy. 

In  reply  Mr.  Hodge  promptly  sent  the  check,  made  out 
payable  to  the  order  of  the  proprietor  of  the  livery  sta- 
ble, and  assured  his  son  that  he  must  remain  in  Fardale, 
finishing  by  repeating  his  threat  to  set  him  adrift  to 
"hoe  his  own  row"  in  case  he  should  be  expelled. 

There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  stay,  and  so  Hodge  re- 
solved to  brace  up  and  "face  the  music"  as  best  he  could. 
If  his  father  was  determined  to  keep  him  at  Fardale,  he 
would  make  the  "old  man"  furnish  plenty  of  cash,  and  by 
a  liberal  expenditure  of  dollars  he  hoped  to  purchase  pop- 
ularity. 

It  had  been  his  ambition  to  be  among  the  first  to  be 
assigned  to  the  first  squad  to  receive  uniforms,  but  in  this 
he  was  disappointed,  and  he  bit  his  tongue  with  anger 
when  he  heard  Merriwell's  name  read  on  the  list. 

"That  fellow  is  on  top  now,"  he  muttered,  "but  there 
is  another  time  coming.  Things  will  change." 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 
PRANK  RECEIVES  THE  MEDAI,. 

An  extraordinary  scene  was  taking  place  on  the 
parade  ground  of  Fardale  Military  Academy. 

It  was  Saturday  afternoon,  and  the  cadets  had  been  in 
camp  a  full  week.  On  the  plain  to  the  west  of  the 
parade  ground  the  white  tents  were  pitched  in  four  rows, 
making  three  streets  within  the  camp.  These  streets 
were  known  as  A,  B,  and  C,  and  the  tents  occupied  by 
the  new  scholars,  or  "plebes,"  were  in  the  last  row,  facing 
on  C  street. 

Just  now  the  camp  seemed  entirely  deserted. 

There  was  a  large  number  of  visitors  on  the  plain,  as 
well  as  a  great  throng  of  cadets,  all  mingling  freely  and 
gathered  round  a  common  center,  where  Professor  Zenas 
Gunn  was  making  a  speech. 

Evidently  the  cadets  had  been  indulging  in  various 
sports,  which  had  been  interrupted  by  the  professor,  who 
had  called  them  together  for  some  purpose  known  to 
himself  and  a  few  chosen  ones  who  were  gathered  around 
him,  among  whom  were  the  assistant  professors,  Scotch 
and  Jenks. 

Professor  Scotch's  full  name  was  Horace  Orman  Tyler 
Scotch,  and,  quick  to  seize  upon  anything  of  the  sort$ 
with  the  aid  of  the  first  three  initials,  the  cadets  had  nick- 
named him  "Hot"  Scotch.  He  was  a  small  man,  with 
very  fiery  hair  and  whiskers,  which,  together  with  a 
peppery  temper,  made  the  name  seem  very  applicable. 

Professor  Jenks  was  more  than  six  feet  tall,  and  very 


158          Frank  Receives  the  Medal. 

slim.  His  front  name  was  Hyson,  and  so  it  naturally 
came  about  that  he  was  known  among  the  cadets  as 
"High  Jinks." 

Between  Professor  Scotch  and  Professor  Jenks  on  the 
platform  was  seated  Frank  Merriwell,  whose  face  wore  a 
flushed,  bewildered,  expectant  expression. 

Like  his  "plebe"  companions  and  the  members  of  the 
upper  classes  gathered  around,  he  was  utterly  at  a  loss  to 
understand  what  Professor  Gunn  was  up  to,  and  he  felt 
his  cheeks  burning  hotly,  much  to  his  discomfiture.  All 
he  knew  was  that  he  had  been  captured  and  marched 
to  this  spit,  where  he  was  placed  between  the  two  under- 
professors,  like  a  desperate  criminal  between  officers 
of  the  law. 

When  the  cadet  band  had  played  a  lively  air  to  draw 
the  crowd  around,  Professor  Gunn  began  his  speech. 
All  listened  with  curiosity  expressed  on  their  faces. 

The  professor  was  given  to  great  verbosity,  and  it 
was  some  time  before  any  one  could  get  the  drift  of  his 
remarks.  He  made  a  long  preamble,  having  a  great 
deal  to  say  about  the  academy  and  its  rules,  which  was 
entirely  foreign  to  the  subject  to  which  he  was  leading, 
or,  rather,  trying  to  approach.  At  length,  however,  he 
began  to  speak  in  a  complimentary  manner  of  the  young 
gentlemen  cadets,  and  more  than  one  suspected  he  had 
something  pleasant  in  store  for  Merriwell.  Finally  he 
described  the  heroism  of  a  new  member  at  the  school, 
speaking  in  glowing  terms  of  his  noble  daring  in  fighting 
the  mad  dog,  and  in  saving  Miss  Burrage  from  death 
beneath  the  engine  of  the  express. 

"A  full  and  concise  account  of  these  grand  and  thrill- 
ing acts  of  bravery,  made  out  by  Lawyer  Howe,  of 
Fardale,  signed  by  myself  and  my  assistants,  properly 


Frank  Receives  the  Medal.          159 

witnessed  and  sworn  to,  was  sent  to  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States,"  continued  Professor  Gunn.  "And  now 
the  young  gentleman  who  thus  twice  saved  Miss  Bur- 
rage  from  death,  and  whom  I  am  proud  to  own  as  a 
cadet  at  this  academy,  is  about  to  be  rewarded  as  he 
properly  deserved.  With  no  unnecessary  delay,  Coi 
gress  ordered  a  medal  of  honor  struck  off  for  Frank 
Harrison  Merriwell,  and  I  have  called  you  together  for 
the  purpose  of  presenting  it  publicly  to  the  one  for 
whom  it  was  designed.  Mr.  Merriwell,  stand  up,  sir!" 

Frank  rose  to  his  feet,  feeling  that  he  sincerely  wished 
himself  in  China,  or  any  place  but  where  he  was  at  that 
moment.  A  great  shout  of  applause  went  up  from  the 
crowd,  and  he  feared  the  blood  would  come  bursting 
through  his  cheeks.  His  head  swam,  and  there  seemed 
to  be  a  haze  over  the  faces  upturned  to  him — a  haze  that 
parted  at  one  point,  and  showed  him  one  face  that  gave 
him  nerve  and  courage. 

It  was  that  of  the  girl  he  had  twice  saved — Inza  Bur- 
rage.  She  was  gazing  at  him  proudly,  admiringly,  and 
she  smiled  her  encouragement. 

"My  boy,"  said  Professor  Gunn,  speaking  as  he  had 
never  before  been  known  to  address  a  member  of  the 
academy,  with  something  like  a  touch  of  genuine  affec- 
tion, "it  gives  rne  unbounded  satisfaction  and  pleasure 
to  be  the  one  to  present  this  beautiful  medal.  I  will 
place  it  here  on  your  breast,  over  a  heart  that  is  brave 
and  noble,  and  may  the  sight  of  it  always  serve  as  an 
inspiration  to  you,  and  while  it  reminds  you  of  the  past, 
I  trust  it  will,  by  reviving  and  keeping  fresh  such  a 
memory,  lead  you  to  still  grander  things  in  the  future. 
Again  I  say  I  am  proud  of  you,  and  I  am  proud  to 
number  you  among  the  young  gentlemen  students  of  this 


160         Frank  Receives  the  Medal. 

academy.  I  trust  that  your  noble  example  will  be  of 
lasting  influence  and  value  to  those  with  whom  you  are 
associated.  That's  all." 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Frank. 

Then  the  band  struck  up  a  lively  air,  the  crowd 
cheered,  and  a  swarm  of  Frank's  admirers  lifted  him  on 
heir  shoulders  and  carried  him  away. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

AMBUSHED     AND    ROBBED. 

"Did  you  ever  hear  such  rot  as  Old  Gunn's  spouting  !" 
exclaimed  Leslie  Gage,  one  of  the  old  students  at  the 
academy.  "All  this  fuss  over  a  plebe  who  has  hap- 
pened to  do  a  little  something  that  any  one  else  might 
have  done  in  his  place,  makes  me  sickl" 

"How  about  Hodge?"  smiled  Cadet  Lieutenant  Swift, 
who  happened  to  be  with  Gage.  "He  failed  to  improve 
his  opportunity." 

"Hodge  was  unlucky,"  said  Gage.  "He  says  he  was 
thrown  from  the  rocking  carriage  while  trying  to  stop 
the  runaway  horse,  and  I  believe  he  tells  the  truth.  He 
is  a  generous  fellow — spends  his  money  like  water." 

"And  I  fancy  his  generosity  has  a  great  deal  to  do 
with  your  opinion  as  to  the  truth  of  his  statement,"  de- 
clared Swift. 

"I  hope  you  do  not  mean  that  you  think  I  could  be 
bought?" 

"Oh,  no,  I  don't  mean  a  thing — not  a  thing." 

But  the  way  Swift  spoke  the  words  made  it  all  the 
more  apparent  that  he  did  mean  something,  and  sar- 
casm was  evident  in  his  face,  as  well  as  his  voice. 

"There's  Hodge  now,"  said  Gage,  as  the  dark-haired 
plebe  and  his  friend  Bascomb  passed  along,  talking 
earnestly  in  low  tones.  "I  want  a  word  with  him." 

He  hurried  away  after  the  two. 

Watching,   Swift   saw   them    draw    aside   from    the 


1 62  Ambushed  and  Robbed. 

throng,  and  talk  earnestly,  with  their  heads  close  to- 
gether. 

"I  believe  they  are  plotting  mischief,"  he  muttered. 
"Hodge  is  revengeful,  Bascomb  is  a  bully,  and  Gage  is 
envious  of  Merriwell.  There  is  something  being  hatched 
up,  and  Merriwell  had  better  watch  out." 

He  decided  to  speak  to  the  lad  who  had  been  honored 
in  such  a  remarkable  manner  that  day,  and  so  he  set 
out  to  find  Frank,  who  had  been  carried  away  on  the 
shoulders  of  his  admiring  friends. 

It  was  nearly  thirty  minutes  later  when  he  saw  Merri- 
well walking  along  one  of  the  tree-lined  avenues  of  the 
grounds,  with  Inza  Burrage  by  his  side. 

Swift  hesitated,  then  decided  to  speak  to  Frank  later, 
and  the  two  passed  on,  happy  in  each  other's  company, 
the  medal  of  honor  shining  on  the  lad's  breast. 

That  evening  Frank  Merriwell  walked  through  the  twi- 
light to  Fardale  village  with  Inza  Burrage.  It  had  been 
a  happy  day  for  both  of  them. 

It  had  grown  quite  dark  when  Frank  turned  back 
toward  the  academy,  and  he  swung  along  at  a  good 
pace,  whistling  a  merry  tune,  his  heart  light  and  care- 
free. 

He  had  no  warning  when,  of  a  sudden,  dark  forms 
darted  out  of  the  bushes  by  the  roadside  and  surrounded 
him.  He  was  clutched  by  strong-  hands,  and  a  hand- 
kerchief, saturated  with  chloroform,  was  pressed  over  his 
mouth  and  nose. 

By  a  desperate  effort,  he  freed  his  mouth  and  gave  a 
shout. 

"Help!" 

The  shout  was  answered,  and  the  sound  of  feet  run- 
ning swiftly  along  the  road  was  heard. 


Ambushed  and  Robbed.  163 

Exclamations  of  dismay  and  anger  broke  from  Frank's 
assailants. 

"We'll  have  to  skip,  fellows!"  hissed  one. 

"Skip  it  is,"  said  another. 

Then  Frank  was  hurled  heavily  to  the  ground,  and 
the  dark  figures  melted  away  into  the  bushes. 

A  solitary  individual  came  dashing  up  the  road  to  the 
spot,  as  Frank  sat  up  in  a  dazed  way,  rubbing  his  head, 
and  staring  around  in  the  darkness. 

"Pwhat's  th'  mattker  wid  yez?"  asked  the  newcomer. 

Frank  recognized  the  voice. 

"Hello,  Barney!"  he  exclaimed.  "It  was  lucky  you 
were  near  enough  to  hear  me  when  I  shouted." 

"Be  me  sowl!"  cried  Barney  Mulloy;  "it's  Frankie, 
b'y !  Pwhat's  the  manin'  av  this,  Merriwell,  darlint?" 

"It  means  I  was  waylaid — ambushed — assaulted! 
There  were  five  or  six  of  them,  and  they  had  cloths  or 
handkerchiefs  tied  over  their  faces.  They  jumped  out 
of  the  bushes  here,  as  I  was  passing." 

"Ye  don't  mane  it!" 

"They  froze  to  me,"  continued  Frank — "tried  to 
chloroform  me!  Here — by  jingoes!  here  is  the  very 
handkerchief  they  tried  to  do  the  job  with!  Have  a 
whiff  of  that." 

Barney  took  it  and  smelled  of  it. 

"Phew!"  he  puffed.     "It  smells  loike  it  wur  shpoilt" 

"There's  something  behind  this  business,"  declared 
Frank,  as  he  got  upon  his  feet,  assisted  by  the  Irish  lad. 
"I  don.'t  understand  what  those  fellows  were  up  to. 
How  did  you  happen  to  be  along  here  anyway,  Barney  ?" 

"It  wur  Lieutenant  Swift  thot  towld  me  ye  moight  get 
in  trouble,  an'  so  Oi  came  out  to  mate  yez." 


164  Ambushed  and  Robbed. 

"Lieutenant  Swift  told  you  that?" 

"Yis." 

"What  made  him  tell  you  anything1  of  the  kind  ?" 

"Begobs!  Oi  dunno  at  all,  at  all.  He  said  he  didn't 
have  a  chance  to  spake  to  yez,  an'  he  advised  me  to  tell 
yez  to  look  out  moighty  sharrup  fer  yersilf." 

"Then  he  must  have  known  something  was  going  to 
happen;  but  I  don't  know  why  he  should  have  sent  me 
warning,  for  he  is  very  reserved,  and  he  will  have  very 
little  to  do  with  plebes.  He  has  never  seemed  friendly 
toward  me." 

"Oi  dunno  about  thot;  but  pwhat  he  said  made  me 
fale  onasy,  an'  so  Oi  came  out  to  mate  yez  on  yer  way 
back  to  camp." 

"I  am  very  glad  you  did,  Barney.  Let  me  have  that 
handkerchief.  It  may  serve  me  a  turn." 

"Av  ye  can  foind  out  who  owns  th'  rag,  ye  can  make 
it  moighty  warrum  fer  th'  spalpane." 

"That's  right,"  nodded  Frank.  "But  I  would  give 
more  to  know  just  why  I  was  attacked  in  such  a  manner. 
There  is  a  mystery  about  it  that  I  do  not  understand." 

"No  more  do  Oi." 

Frank  took  the  chloroform-saturated  handkerchief  and 
placed  it  in  his  pocket.  He  was  still  a  trifle  giddy,  and 
his  legs  felt  strangely  weak,  but  the  fresh  air  was  swiftly 
relieving  him,  and  he  soon  became  able  to  walk  along 
briskly  at  Barney's  side. 

In  a  short  time  they  came  out  where  they  could  look 
down  upon  the  cadet  encampment,  with  the  lights  show- 
ing through  the  white  tents,  and  the  sentries  pacing  up 
and  down  on  their  beats,  being  plainly  revealed  now  and 
then,  as  they  passed  some  illumined  tent  that  was  thrown 
open  at  both  ends. 


Ambushed  and  Robbed.  165 

It  was  a  pleasant  spectacle,  and  the  two  boys  paused 
to  view  it  admiringly. 

"Av  it  warn't  fer  th'  shtudy,  Oi'd  loike  to  go  to  shkool 
th'  rist  av  me  loife,"  said  Barney. 

"You  would  get  tired  of  it  in  time,"  asserted  Frank. 
"As  for  me,  if  it  wasn't  for  the  studying,  I  wouldn't  go 
to  school  at  all.  I  want  to  travel  all  over  the  world,  and 
I  mean  to  do  so  some  day." 

They  went  down  and  entered  the  grounds,  passing  the 
first  sentry.  When  the  camp  was  reached,  they  were 
brought  to  a  halt  by  sentry  number  two,  but  they  gave 
the  countersign  without  hesitation,  and  were  permitted  to 
pass  on. 

It  was  a  warm  evening,  and  the  cadets  were  keeping 
to  the  open  air.  Merriwell  was  greeted  from  all  sides, 
but  he  declined  to  join  any  of  the  groups,  going  straight 
to  his  tent,  where  he  found  Hartley  Hodge  and  Hans 
Dunnerwust,  Hodge  regarded  Frank  closely  as  he  en- 
tered, but  said  nothing. 

Not  so  Hans. 

"How  you  vos,  ain'd  id?"  saluted  the  roly-poly  Dutch 
lad.  "You  peen  oudt  to  take  a  valk  mit  your  girl  alretty 
yet,  I  pet  you  your  life.  Yaw!  Say,  dot  girl  vos  a  peut. 
Uf  I  don'd  peen  engaged  mit  Katrina  since  I  vos  fife 
year  oldt,  I  vould  valk  in  undt  cut  you  oudt  mit  dot 
girl.  Put  I  don'd  vant  to  ged  Katrina  my  hair  into. 
She  vas  fifteen  year  oldt,  and  veighs  a  hundret  and 
sefenty-fife  bounds.  Shimminy  Gristmas!  dot  girl  haf  a 
muscle  pigger  as  mine  headt.  You  pet  me  my  boots  she 
vouldn't  do  a  thing  to  me  uf  she  vos  caught  me  pracin' 
tib  to  some  odder  girl !" 

Hans  winked  with  the  whole  side  of  his  face  as  he 
made  this  final  remark. 


166  Ambushed  and  Robbed. 

"G'wan  wid  yez,  Dutch !"  cut  in  Barney  Mulloy.  "Ye 
talk  too  much  wid  yer  mouth,  thot's  pwhat  yez  do." 

"Hey!"  cried  Hans,  instantly  assuming  a  belligerei-; 
mood.  "Vot  vos  dot?  Uf  I  don'd  learn  to  dalk  der 
United  Sdates  petter  as  you  did,  I  pet  me  your  shirt  I 
wouldn'd  oben  my  yaw!  You  dalk  same  as  you  hat  your 
mouth  full  of  pog-vater,  doan'd  id !" 

"An*  yez  talk  loike  ye  had  yer  mouth  full  av  sour- 
croot,  Dutch." 

"Don'd  you  peen  afther  callin'  me  Dootch,  Irish!" 

"Oi'll  brake  yer  oie  av  yez  call  me  Oirish !" 

There  seemed  danger  of  a  scrap  then  and  there,  but 
Frank  intervened,  ordering  them  both  to  keep  still,  and, 
after  some  grumbling,  they  subsided. 

But  Hans  could  not  keep  still  long,  and  he  soon  broke 
out: 

"You  vos  a  lucky  chap,  Frankie,  when  you  peen  got 
dot  medal  mit  der  United  States  of  Congress  py,  air/d 
id.  Vot  you  done  mit  dot?  I  vant  to  look  at  him,  uf 
you  don'd  haf  some  objection." 

Frank  glanced  down  at  his  breast,  where  the  medal 
had  been  pinned,  and  then  he  staggered  back,  gasping; 

"It's  gone!" 

"Gone?"  gasped  Barney  Mulloy. 

"Yes,"  said  Frank,  hoarsely;  "it  is  gone,  and  I  believe 
1  have  been  robbed!" 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THE  TELLTALE  HANDKERCHIEF. 

"Robbed?" 

"Yes!" 

"Shimminy  Gristmas!"  gurgled  Hans. 

Bart  Hodge  said  not  a  word,  but  there  was  a  strang* 
look  on  his  face. 

"Perhaps  ye've  not  been  robbed,  Merriwell,  me  b'y.** 
said  Barney,  with  an  effort  to  reassure  his  friend. 

"Then  what  has  become  of  the  medal  ?" 

"Perhaps  it  wur  lost  in  th'  shkuffle." 

"That  is  true,"  came  eagerly  from  Frank.  "It  may 
have  been  torn  from  my  breast  accidentally.  I  must  go 
back  and  see.  There  is  plenty  of  time  before  taps." 

"An*  Oi'll  go  wid  yez." 

"Me,  too,  py  shimminy!" 

"We  will  take  a  candle  and  some  matches,"  said  Frank, 
who  was  greatly  excited  and  distressed.  "If  it  is  any- 
where near  the  spot  where  those  fellows  jumped  on  me, 
we  can  find  it." 

In  a  very  few  moments  they  had  started,  and  as  they 
left  the  tent  Bart  Hodge  smiled  grimly,  whispering  to 
himself : 

"Search  as  much  as  you  like,  Frank  Merriwell ;  but  I 
'  don't  believe  you  will  find  your  medal  this  night," 

The  trio  had  no  trouble  in  getting  out  of  the  camp 
and  beyond  the  grounds,  although  Frank  did  not  care  to 
let  it  become  known  he  had  lost  the  precious  medal  pre- 


168          The  Telltale  Handkerchief. 

sented  to  him  that  day.  He  felt  that  such  an  acknowl- 
edgment would  be  most  disgraceful. 

What  would  be  thought  of  a  boy  careless  enough  to 
lose  such  a  precious  souvenir  within  a  few  hours  after 
he  received  it?  Would  he  not  be  regarded  with  scorn 
and  contempt? 

His  face  burned,  and  his  heart  was  throbbing  with 
pent-up  shame  and  rage.  Over  and  over  he  declared  to 
himself  that,  if  he  had  been  robbed,  his  assailants  should 
be  brought  to  book  and  made  to  suffer  for  their  dastardly 
act. 

Frank  led  the  way  up  the  road  toward  Fardale  village, 
with  Barney  close  at  his  heels,  and  Hans  puffing  along 
behind.  They  soon  reached  the  locality  where  the  mys- 
terious assault  had  taken  place. 

"Now  to  find  the  exact  spot  where  they  jumped  on 
me,"  said  Frank,  as  he  and  Barney  began  looking  about. 

Hans  asked  twenty  questions  between  his  panting 
breaths,  and  Frank  told  him  enough  to  keep  him  still. 

The  spot  was  soon  found.  •  Frank's  hands  shook  as  he 
tried  to  light  the  candle,  and  he  dropped  two  matches 
and  burned  his  fingers  with  the  third  before  he  succeeded. 

He  was  hoping  against  hope  that  the  precious  medal 
would  be  found  somewhere  on  the  ground  near  that  spot. 

Breathlessly  the  three  lads  began  the  search,  and  they 
kept  it  up  till  all  were  satisfied  that  it  was  a  vain  quest, 

"It  is  not  here!"  said  Frank,  hoarsely. 

The  candle  trembled  in  his  hand,  and  his  face  showed 
ghastly  pale  by  the  quivering,  flaring  light. 

"Thot's  a  fact,"  admitted  Barney  Mulloy,  with  great 
reluctance.  "Av  it  wur  here,  we'd  foind  it  aisy." 

"There  is  no  doubt,  now,  I  was  robbed !" 

"Oi  think  ye're  roight,  me  b'y." 


The  Telltale  Handkerchief.  169 

"That  was  the  main  object  of  the  assault  upon  me, 
and  the  sneaking  gang  succeeded!" 

"Yis,  me  b'y." 

"But  they  shall  be  made  to  suffer  for  it !"  cried  Frank, 
rising  to  his  feet  and  holding  one  clenched  hand  above 
his  head,  while  the  light  of  the  candle  flared  over  three 
faces. 

"If  such  a  thing  is  possible,  I  will  find  out  who  did 
this  dirty  trick,  and  then " 

He  stopped  there,  but  the  blank  was  more  expressive 
than  words  could  have  been. 

"You  vant  to  gif  dot  feller  der  rink  uf  der  blinkety- 
blink,  as  dose  gadets  say  ven  der  vos  goin'  to  haze  some- 
pody,"  put  in  Hans.  "Undt  you  vos  der  poy  to  do  him." 

Frank  was  reluctant  to  give  over  the  search,  and  he 
got  down  on  his  knees  again,  going  carefully  over  the 
ground,  but  with  the  same  result. 

A  short  time  later  the  trio  returned  to  the  camp. 

Bart  Hodge  was  still  in  the  tent.  He  gave  Merriwell 
a  quick  glance,  and  then  kept  his  eyes  turned  away. 

Frank  knew  Hodge  was  still  his  enemy,  for  all  that 
they  were  tent-mates,  and  something  about  the  fellow's 
manner  made  him  suspicious.  He  watched  Bart  a  mo- 
ment in  silence,  and  then  he  sat  down  to  think  it  over. 
Of  course  he  must  report  the  loss  of  the  medal,  but  he 
wanted  a  few  moments  to  get  his  nerves  steady. 

Hans  could  not  be  kept  still. 

"Uf  you  don'd  lick  der  stufnn'  uf  dot  veller  oudt  when 
you  findt  him,  I  vould  do  dot  meinself,"  he  declared. 
"He  vos  a  shneak,  dot's  vot's  der  madder  mit  Hannah !" 

Of  a  sudden,  to  Frank's  surprise,  Bart  turned  swiftly 
on  him,  saying : 


170         The  Telltale  Handkerchief. 

"You  didn't  find  the  medal,  did  you,  Merriwell?" 

"No." 

"You  may  be  able  to  find  it  in  the  morning." 

"If  I  do,  I  think  I  shall  find  it  in  the  possession  of  an 
enemy." 

"You  believe  you  were  robbed?" 

"I  do." 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it  ?" 

"Report  it  to  Lieutenant  Gordan  and  Professor  Gunn." 

Now  it  happened  that  Lieutenant  Gordan  was  passing 
the  tent  at  this  moment,  and  he  heard  Merriwell's  words. 
Into  the  tent  he  stepped,  saying : 

"I  am  here,  Mr.  Merriwell,  if  you  have  anything  to 
report." 

In  a  moment  the  four  lads  sprang  up,  saluted,  and 
stood  at  attention. 

Frank  hesitated,  his  face  getting  crimson  again.  It 
was  a  bitter  pill  to  swallow,  but  he  must  confess  that  he 
had  lost  the  medal,  and  so,  after  some  stammering,  he 
related  his  story. 

The  lieutenant  listened  silently,  his  face  growing  hard 
and  stern.  When  Frank  had  finished,  he  asked : 

"Have  you  any  reason  to  suspect  your  assailants  were 
cadets  of  Fardale  Academy,  Mr.  Merriwell  ?" 

"I  suspect  they  were,  for  I  know  of  no  reason  why 
any  one  else  should  waylay  and  rob  me." 

"But  do  you  know  of  any  reason  why  your  fellow- 
students  should  commit  such  a  reprehensible  act?" 

"No,  sir;  no  good  reason." 

"Have  you  enemies  among  them  ?" 

"I  think  so,  sir." 

"More  than  one?" 

''Not  more  than  one  that  I  know  as  an  enemy,  sir. 


The  Telltale  Handkerchief.  171 

Bart  Hodge's  face  had  paled  a  bit,  but  now  it  grew 
dark  with  anger,  and  he  flashed  Merriwell  a  fierce  look. 

"Then  you  have  one  whom  you  know  as  an  enemy?" 

"Yes,  sir;  he  has  shown  himself  my  enemy  in  the 
past." 

"Will  you  name  him?" 

"I  beg  you  to  excuse  me,  sir ;  I  cannot." 

"But  it  may  aid  a  great  deal  in  the  recovery  of  your 
medal." 

"It  might,  sir;  and  it  might  bring  suspicion  on  one 
who  is  entirely  innocent.  I  cannot  name  him,  sir." 

Bart's  face  cleared,  and,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,. 
he  felt  like  shaking  Frank's  hand. 

Lieutenant  Gordan  did  not  show  approval,  but,  to  tell 
the  truth,  he  had  not  expected  Merriwell  would  name 
any  one  as  a  known  enemy. 

"Very  well,"  he  said,  "I  will  report  the  matter  to 
Professor  Gunn,  and  we  will  see  what  can  be  done.  If 
we  find  out  the  guilty  party  or  parties  belong  to  this 
school,  I  promise  you  they  shall  be  expelled.  I  don't 
suppose  you  'have  any  clew  to  the  perpetrators  of  the 
outrage." 

"I  have  this,  sir,"  said  Frank,  taking  the  chloroformed 
handkerchief  from  his  pocket  and  passing  it  to  the  officer, 
who  unfolded  it  for  inspection. 

A  gasp  of  dismay  came  from  Bart  Hodge's  lips,  and 
his  face  grew  ashen. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 
"TOBOGGANED." 

That  gasp  was  enough  to  attract  Lieutenant  Gordan's 
attention,  and  he  glanced  quickly  and  keenly  at  Hodge, 

Bart  caught  his  breath  again,  and — sneezed! 

It  was  done  skillfully  and  naturally,  so  it  seemed  that 
the  first  gasp  was  but  a  forerunner  of  the  sneeze. 

He  immediately  begged  pardon. 

"I  trust  you  have  not  taken  cold,  Mr.  Hodge,"  said  the 
lieutenant,  in  a  queer  way. 

"Thank  you,  sir ;  I  think  not/'  said  Bart. 

Lieutenant  Gordan  continued  the  inspection  of  the 
handkerchief. 

"Here  is  a  latter  in  the  corner — an  'H.'  If  it  were  a 
monogram  it  might  lead  immediately  to  the  discovery  of 
the  owner  and  the  culprit;  but  this  letter  was  plainly 
made  in  the  handkerchief.  However,  it  is  a  most  impor- 
tant clew,  and  it  will  go  hard  with  the  fellow  who  has 
other  handkerchiefs  like  this." 

He  carefully  folded  the  handkerchief  and  put  it  into 
his  pocket. 

Bartley  Hodge  looked  as  if  'he  longed  to  snatch  it,  but 
he  made  no  move. 

After  assuring  Frank  that  everything  possible  to  dis- 
cover the  guilty  ones  should  be  done,  the  lieutenant  left 
the  tent. 

"There's  plinty  av  fellers  thot  hiv  names  beginnin'  wid 
H,"  said  the  Irish  lad.  "There's  Harris,  Hardy,  Hig- 
gins,  Hodge " 


"  Tobogganed."  17? 

He  stopped  short  and  stared  at  Bart,  his  mouth  open. 

"Well,"  snapped  the  dark-haired  youth,  "what  are  you 
stopping  there  for  ?  Go  on  and  name  the  others." 

"Oi  didn't  know  but  Oi  had  named  enough,"  said 
Barney,  in  an  insinuating  tone. 

Bart  clenched  his  hands  and  seemed  on  the  point  of 
making  a  rush  at  the  Irish  lad;  but,  if  he  had  such  in- 
tentions, he  suddenly  changed  his  mind. 

"Just  what  do  you  mean  by  that  ?"  he  asked,  govern- 
ing his  voice  remarkably. 

"Mane?  Whoy,  Oi  named  four,  an'  Oi  didn't  know 
but  thot  W.UT  enough," 

"Oh;  you  are  very  sharp." 

"Don't  mintion  it.  There  do  be  sharper  wans  thin 
mesilf  behoind  iron  bars,  to  say  nothing  av  you,  me  b'y." 

Frank  was  saying  nothing,  but  not  a  word  did  he  miss. 
He  did  not  wish  to  think  Hodge  had  been  one  of  his 
assailants,  but  his  old  enemy  'was  certainly  acting  in  a 
manner  calculated  to  arouse  suspicion.  Then  the  hand- 
kerchief with  an  "H"  in  one  corner  was  quite  enough  to 
make  him  believe  it  possible  Hodge  had  taken  a  hand 
in  the  affair. 

If  so,  and  it  was  proved  against  him,  it  meant  expul- 
sion for  Hodge. 

Frank  had  not  intended  that  the  loss  of  his  medal 
should  become  generally  known  right  away,  but  the  story 
got  out  some  way,  and,  before  taps,  several  parties  came 
to  the  tent  to  express  sympathy,  or  to  ask  questions. 
They  were  received  pleasantly,  but  it  became  apparent 
that  Merriwell  did  not  wish  to  talk. 

The  news  spread,  and  before  the  signal  for  retiring 
sounded  the  entire  camp  knew  what  had  happened.  The 


174  "Tobogganed." 

matter  was  discussed  in  A,  B  and  C  streets,  and,  while 
some  were  inclined  to  smile  over  the  plebe's  misfortune, 
all  agreed  that  it  would  go  hard  with  the  guilty  parties 
if  they  were  found  out. 

Somehow,  the  presentation  of  that  medal  had  seemed 
to  arouse  a  strong  feeling  of  jealousy  among  the  cadets. 
Before  that  occurred,  Frank  had  seemed  like  a  general 
favorite,  but  there  were  now  many  who  seemed  to  cov- 
ertly rejoice  at  his  loss. 

"The  plebe  won't  swell  around  with  that  thing  dang- 
ling before  our  eyes  holidays,"  said  one.  "Why,  he 
would  have  had  the  swelled  head  so  bad  that  his  superi- 
ors would  not  have  been  good  enough  for  him  to  speak 
to  outside  the  grounds." 

"I  think  you  misjudge  Frank  Merriwell,"  said  another. 
"I  do  not  believe  he  is  the  kind  of  a  fellow  to  swell 
around.  I  think  Merriwell  is  a  fine  fellow." 

"Think  what  you  like,"  came  sharply  from  the  first. 
"I  shan't  cry  over  the  loss  of  his  medal." 

"There  are  lots  with  you,"  said  another  envious  fellow. 
"For  myself,  I  think  that  particular  plebe  has  fared  alto- 
gether too  easily  since  coming  here.  He  has  scarcely 
been  run  through  the  mill  at  all." 

"That's  so,"  joined  in  a  third.  "He  has  had  a  soft 
time  of  it ;  but  I'm  in  for  making  up  for  lost  time." 

"What  do  you   mean?" 

"It's  going  to  be  a  fine  night  for  tobogganing." 

The  cadets  seemed  to  understand  this,  for  they  smiled, 
and  one  observed : 

"It  will  be  darker  than  a  pocket." 

"Let's  give  him  a  slide." 


"  Tobogganed."  175 

"That  goes." 

"What  time?" 

"About  eleven." 

"We  will  be  there." 

Tattoo  gave  them  warning,  and  the  sounding  of  taps 
found  every  tent  dark  and  silent.  The  sentries  paced 
their  beats,  and  began  calling  the  hours  promptly  at  the 
proper  time. 

"Eleven  o'clock,  and  a-l-l-'-s  well,"  passed  round  the 
slumbering  camp,  and  the  eyes  of  the  sentries  saw  noth- 
ing to  arouse  their  suspicions,  their  ears  heard  no  sound 
to  tell  them  that  a  night  raid  on  plebes  was  about  to  be 
made. 

Frank  had  remained  awake,  for  all  that  it  was  neces- 
sary for  him  to  be  in  bed  at  the  regular  hour.  He  could 
not  sleep.  The  misfortune  that  had  come  upon  him  was 
so  crushing  that  his  spirit  writhed  in  anguish,  and  it 
was  with  difficulty  that  he  kept  from  making  some  un- 
necessary noise,  which  must  have  earned  him  a  rebuke 
and  demerit. 

He  heard  the  sentries  call  the  hour  of  eleven,  but  it 
was  as  if  they  were  far  away — many  miles  distant.  He 
was  in  a  sort  of  stupor.  Barney  Mulloy  was  breathing 
regularly  at  his  side,  and  the  breathing  from  the  other 
bed  told  that  Bart  and  Hans  were  fast  asleep. 

It  might  have  been  ten  minutes  past  eleven  when  he 
fancied  he  heard  some  one  stirring  outside  the  tent.  Still 
he  remained  in  a  sort  of  stupor,  idly  wondering  what  it 
could  mean.  Had  he  heard  anything,  or  was  it  fancy? 

Another  five  minutes  slipped  away,  and  then 

Merriwell  never  knew  exactly  how  it  happened,  but  he 


1 76  "Tobogganed." 

felt  himself  jerked  out  of  bed,  rolled  in  his  blanket,  and, 
thus  enveloped,  dragged  by  the  heels  about  the  camp. 
In  the  language  of  the  academy,  he  was  given  a  "tobog- 
gan slide." 

At  the  same  time,  Barney,  Bart,  and  Hans  had  been 
yanked  out  of  bed  in  the  same  mysterious  manner. 

"It's  the  ould  b'y  himsilf !"  groaned  the  Irish  lad,  as 
he  felt  his  feet  grasped  by  the  mysterious  power  and 
found  himself  swiftly  sliding  across  the  floor  of  the  tent. 
"Oi'm  done  for  intoirely!" 

"Shimminy  Gristmas !"  cried  the  Dutch  lad.  "Vot  vos 
der  madder  mit  me,  ain'd  id  ?  Vos  I  shackled  onto  some 
exbress  train  alretty  yet?  Wow!  Broke  avay  mit  dot 
feet  uf  you  don'd  vant  to  ged  a  corner  uf  your  yaw 
keeked  off !" 

Then  the  blanket  covered  his  head  and  smothered  his 
voice,  and  he  found  himself  taking  a  "toboggan  slide." 

The  sound  of  this  racket  was  heard  by  the  nearest 
sentry,  who  challenged,  and  then  shouted: 

"Corporal  of  the  guard !     Corporal  of  the  guard !" 

That  cry  was  enough  to  bring  the  corporal  down  from 
the  guard  tents  at  a  run.  The  officer  of  the  guard  also 
hurried  to  the  point  from  which  the  alarm  came,  but  when 
they  reached  that  spot  he  found  a  deserted  tent,  the  bed- 
ding being  scattered  and  the  plebes  gone.  The  sentry 
could  -tell  them  nothing  save  that  he  had  heard  smothered 
cries  and  running  feet. 

Then  came  the  search  for  the  captured  plebes,  who 
were  finally  found  at  the  farther  extremity  of  the  camp, 
having  just  crawled  from  their  dust-covered  blankets, 
stunned,  dazed,  and  unable  to  speak  coherently. 

Barney  was  so  mad  that  he  could  do  nothing  but  claw 


"Tobogganed."  177 

the  air  and  gasp,  -while  Hans  was  half-laughing  and  half- 
crying,  as  he  muttered: 

"Uf  I  findt  mineself  in  less  as  dwenty-sefun  bieces,  I 
bet  me  your  life  I  don'd  been  afraidt  uf  cyglones  undt 
earthgwakes  after  dot  1" 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

A     LIVELY     NIGHT. 

When  questioned,  Bart  Hodge  said  'he  knew  not  who 
his  assailants  were,  but  he  was  fierce  in  his  denunciation 
of  the  "outrage,"  till  sternly  silenced  by  the  officer  of  the 
guard. 

The  corporal  of  the  guard  was  trying  to  get  some- 
thing out  of  Frank  Merriwell,  but  Frank  had  little  to 
say,  save  that  he  had  not  the  least  idea  in  the  world  who 
had  dragged  him  round  the  camp  in  his  blanket.  He 
seemed  to  regard  it  as  a  good  joke,  and  did  not  utter  a 
word  for  which  he  could  be  rebuked,  much  to  the  cor- 
poral's disgust. 

Lieutenant  Gordan  had  heard  the  outcry,  and  he  came 
down  with  a  bull's-eye  lantern,  by  the  light  of  which  he 
looked  the  four  plebes  over. 

Hodge  was  wiping  the  dust  and  a  little  blood  from  his 
cheek  with  a  corner  of  the  blanket,  and  tried  to  express 
himself  to  the  lieutenant,  only  to  be  cut  off  and  again 
silenced  in  a  way  that  was  very  disagreeable  to  him. 

"Make  an  immediate  inspection,  Mr.  Harris,"  directed 
Lieutenant  Gordan,  speaking  to  the  officer  of  the  guard. 
"Mr.  Otis  and  I  will  attend  to  these  young  gentlemen. 
Take  this  lantern,  sir." 

So  Mr.  Harris  took  the  lantern  and  went  about  inspec- 
tion, while  the  lieutenant  and  Otis  conducted  the  four 
plebes  back  to  their  tent. 

It  must  be  said  to  Mr.  Harris'  credit  that  he  made  the 
inspection  faithfully,  but  he  knew  plenty  of  time  had 


A  Lively  Night  179 

been  given  for  the  hazers  to  get  back  to  their  beds,  and 
he  was  not  surprised  to  find  the  cadets  sleeping  soundly, 
to  all  outward  appearance,  for  all  of  the  disturbance  in 
camp. 

The  four  "tobogganed"  plebes  were  escorted  back  to 
their  tent,  where  they  were  allowed  to  light  one  candle 
while  their  beds  were  hastily  made  beneath  the  eye  of 
Lieutenant  Gordan,  and  they  turned  in  again. 

Hodge  paused  long  enough  to  get  a  handkerchief  to 
wipe  the  blood  from  his  cheek. 

By  the  light  of  the  candle,  Frank  saw  something  on  the 
corner  of  that  handkerchief — something  that  made  his 
eyes  blaze.  He  made  a  move  to  snatch  the  handkerchief, 
but  seemed  to  change  his  mind  suddenly,  and,  for  the 
time,  Bart  escaped  being  denounced. 

The  first  night  in  camp  at  Fardale  had  ever  been  a 
tumultuous  one  for  plebes,  but  it  had  started  differently 
this  year,  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  Professor  Gunn  and 
Lieutenant  Gordan,  who  began  to  flatter  themselves  that 
better  discipline  had  been  established,  and  that  really 
there  was  little  or  no  hazing  at  the  academy. 

Lieutenant  Gordan  had  really  been  an  officer  in  the 
regular  army  at  one  time,  and  he  was  a  graduate  of 
West  Point.  Why  he  was  not  still  in  the  army  was  not 
exactly  clear,  for  it  could  not  be  discovered  that  he  had 
left  anything  but  a  most  honorable  record  behind  him, 
having  seen  actual  service  in  an  Indian  campaign,  at 
which  time  his  superior  had  spoken  of  him  as  a  brave 
and  efficient  officer. 

The  lieutenant  aspired  to  model  the  school  at  Fardale 
so  much  on  the  lines  followed  at  West  Point  that  it 
would  be  regarded  by  military  people,  as  well  as  by 


i8o  A  Lively  Night. 

common  citizens,  as  the  leading  private  school  of  that 
character  in  the  country. 

Hazing  in  camp  had  been  found  even  more  difficult 
to  prevent  than  hazing  in  barracks.  At  West  Point  rows 
of  gas  lamps  stand  along  the  sentry  lines,  and  these,  with 
other  precautions,  made  it  a  very  hazardous  thing  for  the 
old  cadets  to  attempt  to  "devil"  plebes. 

There  were  no  gas  lamps  at  Fardale.  The  camp  was 
wrapped  in  darkness,  save  for  the  light  of  the  moon 
and  stars,  which  was  not  always  regular,  and  could  never 
be  regarded  as  sufficient. 

Sentries  had  been  kidnapped  while  on  duty,  and  all 
manner  of  pranks  had  been  played  at  Fardale.  Professor 
Gunn's  remonstrances  and  Lieutenant  Gordan's  threats 
had  been  equally  insufficient  to  put  a  check  to  this;  but, 
for  some  reason,  this  particular  year  had  seen  very  few 
of  these  things  happen. 

When  the  "tobogganed"  plebes  were  securely  in  bed 
again,  the  lieutenant  made  the  rounds  of  the  sentries, 
testing  their  knowledge  of  their  duties,  and  warning 
them  to  be  fully  and  constantly  on  the  alert.  He  did  not 
trust  this  matter  wholly  to  the  corporal  of  the  relief, 
whose  duty  it  was  to  see  that  every  sentry  was  at  his  post 
and  answered  promptly  and  correctly  the  catechism. 

By  the  time  he  had  made  the  rounds,  "Twelve  o'clock, 
and  a-l-l-'-s  well,"  ran  round  the  camp. 

It  -was  Sunday  morning,  and  the  lieutenant  did  not 
fancy  there  would  be  any  further  disturbance,  so  he  re- 
tired again,  hoping  to  sleep  soundly  till  reveille. 

But  the  excitement  for  the  night  was  not  yet  over. 
There  was  no  intention  of  letting  the  "tobogganed"  plebes 
sleep  quietly  till  morning. 

And  so  it  came  about  that  Bart  Hodge  was  just  begin- 


A  Lively  Night.  181 

ning  to  dream  that  he  was  battling  over  a  handkerchief 
with  Merriwell,  and  Merriwell  was  an  elephant  that  had 
crushed  him  to  the  ground  and  was  smothering  him, 
when  he  awoke  to  find  himself  enveloped  in  the  tent, 
which  had  come  tumbling  down  upon  them  all. 

It  was  exceedingly  dark,  and,  wondering  what  had 
happened,  Bart  managed  to  get  out  of  bed,  when  he  felt 
himself  clutched  once  more,  and,  before  he  could  make 
an  outcry,  tumbled  into  a  rickety  wheelbarrow,  which 
was  surrounded  by  a  score  of  dark  figures.  Then  away 
they  went,  bumping,  swaying,  creaking  and  rattling 
round  the  camp,  Bart's  teeth  chattering  with  the  jolts,  and 
a  sort  of  stuttering  howl  of  rage  coming  from  his  lips. 

Hans  Dunnerwust  tried  to  keep  still  and  escape,  but 
this  did  not  work.  He  was  yanked  out  into  the  open 
air,  and,  before  he  could  say  "Shimminy  Gristmas  !"  more 
than  once  he  was  perched  astride  the  tent-pole,  which  lay 
along  several  strong  shoulders. 

"Let  'er  rip !"  said  a  low  voice. 

On  either  side  there  were  hands  to  keep  the  Dutch  lad 
upright  on  the  pole,  to  which  he  clung  frantically.  They 
started  at  a  run  with  him,  and  he  let  out  a  wild  howl  of 
terror  and  distress. 

"Hellup !  Hellup !"  he  cried.  "Uf  I  don'd  peen  kildt 
der  odder  dime,  where  I  vos  alretty  yet,  ain'd  id  ?  I  haf 
ridden  mit  an  exbress  drain  on,  undt  straddlet  a  jack- 
mule,  but  dot  don'd  peen  in  him  mit  dees  kindt  uf  a 
beast !  Hellup !"  he  squawked,  as  he  tried  to  tie  his  fat 
legs  in  a  square  knot  on  the  under  side  of  the  pole.  "Uf 
somepody  don'd  hellup  me  down  from  dees  peast,  I  pet 
me  my  life  I  vos  deadt  alretty  yet  right  avay !  Uf  I  efer 
live  till  morning,  I  peen  goin'  to  dake  oudt  den  dousandt 
tollar  assurance  on  mein  life,  don'd  id !  Derv  ven  I  vos 


1 82  A  Lively  Night. 

kildt,  I  peen  baid  for  id  enough  to  make  me  reech  der 
rest  uf  mein  life.  Hellup!  hellup!  Uf  I  don'd  ged 
down  off  dot  pole,  I  peen  cut  in  dwo  alretty  yet,  und  I 
find  meinself  twins  der  morning  in." 

And  so  his  wild  cries  trailed  all  the  way  round  the 
camp. 

Of  a  sudden,  he  was  dropped  heavily  to  the  ground, 
where  he  sat  rubbing  his  eyes  and  staring  into  the  dark- 
ness, for  every  one  of  the  dark  forms  had  vanished  like 
magic,  and  he  was  quite  alone. 

"Uf  I  don't  feel  dot  blace  vere  I  vos  cut  in  dwo,  I  pet 
me  more  as  zwi  tollars  I  haf  took  a  ride  on  der  night- 
mare. I  haf  heard  uf  dot  kind<t  uf  a  hoss  pefore,  undt  I 
think  I  haf  peen  oudt  vor  a  leedle  turn  mit  him  dis  efen- 
ing.  Yaw !  Dot  vos  der  madder  mit  Hannah !" 

In  the  meantime,  Merriwell  and  Mulloy  had  been 
rolled  into  the  center  of  the  tent-fly,  and  then  they  were 
tossed,  kicking  and  struggling,  into  the  air,  to  fall  on  the 
fly  and  be  tossed  again,  by  the  grim  band  that  surrounded 
it  and  held  it  stretched  clear  of  the  ground. 

"Begobs!"  gasped  Barney;  "it's  a  loively  koind  av  a 
noight  this  do  be,  Oi  dunno !" 

"Rather  so,"  admitted  Frank,  coolly. 

"Wow!"  howled  the  Irish  lad,  as  they  bounced  into 
the  air,  clutching  wildly  at  each  other.  "This  bates  loife 
on  the  bounding  billow,  Merriwell,  me  b'y!" 

But  soon  the  bouncing  became  so  lively  that  they  could 
not  exchange  a  word,  and  it  was  kept  up  for  some  min- 
utes. 

All  at  once  a  voice  said: 

"Next  time — drop!" 

Down  they  came,  and  they  found  themselves  in  the 


A  Lively  Night.  183 

midst  of  their  demolished  tent,  while  the  dark  figures 
had  vanished. 

The  alarm  had  been  given,  and  the  sentry  came  pant- 
ing to  the  spot.  The  corporal  of  the  guard  quickly  ap- 
peared, and  Lieutenant  Gordan,  now  thoroughly  aroused, 
was  not  far  behind  him. 

"I  will  make  an  immediate  inspection  of  the  tents,  Mr. 
Otis,"  said  the  lieutenant.  "Some  one  should  be  pun- 
ished for  this  piece  of  work !  See  that  the  tent  is  put  up 
as  soon  as  possible.  Take  the  name  of  the  sentry  on  this 
post.  This  matter  shall  be  sifted." 

Then  he  hurried  away. 

But  Lieutenant  Gordan's  inspection  proved  no  more 
effective  than  had  H'arris'  less  than  two  hours  before. 
Everything  seemed  all  right  everywhere  except  at  that 
one  particular  collapsed  tent. 

"It's  little  sleep  we'll  get  to-night,"  thought  Frank,  as 
he  assisted  in  the  reconstruction  of  the  tent.  "We  are 
marked  for  trouble,  and  we  are  getting  it." 

Hodge  and  Hans  were  found  and  brought  back,  both 
seeming  badly  broken  up  by  what  they  had  been  through, 

The  tent  was  set  up  in  a  remarkably  brief  space  of 
time,  and  then  the  four  plebes  turned  in  once  more. 

Lieutenant  Gordan  saw  that  extra  sentries  were  posted 
at  that  side  of  the  camp,  all  of  whom  were  directed  to 
give  special  attention  to  the  tent  that  seemed  to  contain 
the  objects  singled  out  for  "torture"  by  the  mischievous 
cadets. 

Then  followed  a  long  lull,  and  it  seemed  that  the  ex- 
citement was  over  for  the  night. 

But  it  was  not. 

Tired  and  sore,   the  four  occupants  of  the  tent  fell 


1 84  A  Lively  Night 

asleep.  Morning  was  not  far  away,  but  it  was  still  very 
dark  when 

"Atchew !" 

A  smothered  sneeze  came  from  Barney. 

There  were  a  few  moments  of  silence,  and  then,  from 
the  other  bed,  came  a  more  violent  sneeze: 

"A-a-a-atchew !" 

It  sounded  like  Hans. 

Frank  awoke  and  caught  his  breath. 

"Atchew !"  he  sneezed. 

"Atchew !  atchew !  a-a-atchew !"  burst  from  Barney. 

"Be  me  saoul,  it's  th'  top  av  me  head  Oi  shplit  thot 
toime!"  muttered  the  Irish  lad,  sleepily.  "Oi  must  have 
a  bad  cold  in  me  head,  Oi  dunno." 

"Atchew !"  sneezed  Hodge,  who  was  not  awake. 

"Atchew !  atchew !  atchew !"  roared  Hans,  the  last 
sneeze  nearly  throwing  him  out  of  the  bed.  "Shimminy 
Gristmas!  Vot  vos  der  madder  mit  mine  nose,  ain'd 
id?" 

And  then  they  went  at  it  all  together : 

"Atchew !    Atchew !    Atchew !" 

"Howly  shmoke !"  gurgled  Barney.  "Oi  fale  loike  Oi 
had  a  whole  swarrum  av  floies  crawling  up  me  nose,  an' 
ivvery  floie  had  a  hundred  an'  sivintane  fate  to  crawl 
wid!" 

"Say!"  gasped  Hans ;  "uf  I  doan'd  haf  der  hose  turned 
up  mine  nose  bretty  soon  alretty,  I  vos  going  to  sneeze 
der  roof  of  mine  headt  off !" 

"What  is  the  matter?"  asked  Frank,  speaking  for  the 
first  time.  "I  believe  I  smell  smoke!" 

Clinging  to  his  nose,  he  quickly  got  out  of  bed  and 
opened  the  fly  of  the  tent  to  admit  fresh  air. 


A  Lively  Night  185 

At  this  moment  the  sentry  demanded  to  know  the  cause 
of  the  commotion  in  there. 

Frank  explained  that  the  tent  was  full  of  smoke. 

And  then  he  found  an  old  iron  kettle,  in  which  some 
kind  of  a  substance  was  slowly  burning,  sending  up  a 
volume  of  smoke.  Remembering  his  early  school  days, 
Frank  knew  red  pepper  had  been  sprinkled  plentifully  on 
the  burning  substance,  and  this  it  was  that  had  caused 
the  sneezing. 

It  was  now  so  near  morning  that  no  further  pranks 
could  be  indulged  in,  but  it  had  been  a  very  lively  night, 
to  say  the  least. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

A     CASE     OF     NERVE. 

For  all  that  the  following  day  was  Sunday,  the  boys 
were  forced  to  spend  a  great  deal  of  time  in  getting  their 
tent  into  order,  but  were  required  to  attend  services  in 
the  chapel  and  be  prompt  as  usual  in  their  other  duties. 

The  interruptions  and  excitement  of  the  night  did  not 
absolve  either  Hodge  or  Dunnerwust  from  a  sharp  re- 
proof at  morning  inspection,  when  they  appeared  in  ranks 
looking  negligent  and  careless  as  to  dress. 

Hans  said  not  a  word,  having  already  learned  to  keep 
silent  under  such  circumstances,  and  did  not  even  grin ; 
but  Hodge  was  in  bad  humor,  and  he  muttered  behind 
the  officer's  back. 

This  was  promptly  and  sharply  checked,  and  the  de- 
merit recorded,  "Hodge,  belt  and  pompon  awry,  mutter- 
ing in  ranks." 

It  is  not  strange  that  the  four  boys  were  rather  listless 
and  dispirited,  and  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty 
Hans  succeeded  in  keeping  awake  during  the  morning 
service. 

There  was  more  or  less  chaffing  when  the  battalion  as- 
sembled for  breakfast,  and  this  was  renewed  at  dinner. 

"Mr.  Merriwell,"  said  one  smiling  cadet,  "they  tell  me 
you  are  a  great  traveler,  and  that  you  are  particularly 
fond  of  coasting.  Now,  would  you  mind  stating  just 
what  sort  of  coasting  you  prefer?  Is  tobogganing  in 
your  line?" 


A  Case  of  Nerve.  187 

"I  have  found  tobogganing  very  lively  and  diverting, 
sir,"  replied  Frank,  respectfully,  a  sly  twinkle  in  his  eye. 

"And  you,  Mr.  Hodge — what  do  you  think  of  it?" 

"I  think  it  is  an  outrage  that  such  things  can  be  car- 
ried on  in  a  school  that  is  supposed  to  be  for  young 
gentlemen!"  was  the  hot  reply. 

"Mr.  Bond,"  said  the  smiling  cadet,  suddenly  growing 
sober,  and  turning  sharply  to  a  comrade,  "will  you  be 
good  enough  to  record  Mr.  Hodge's  words.  Be  careful 
to  take  them  exactly  as  they  were  spoken — 'a  school  that 
is  supposed  to  be  for  young  gentlemen.' " 

Mr.  Bond  immediately  and  gravely  made  a  show  of 
taking  down  the  speech,  much  to  Bart's  dismay  and  un- 
easiness. 

"Now,  Mr.  Mulloy,"  said  the  questioner,  whose  name 
was  Hawkins,  "it  is  reported  that  you  are  a  great  aero- 
naut— that  you  have  even  been  known  to  make  ascen- 
sions in  the  night.  I  would  like  to  know  what  you  think 
of  the  business  of  aerial  navigation." 

"Well,"  said  Barney,  in  his  most  whimsical  way,  "Oi 
foind  there  do  be  a  great  many  ups  an'  down  to  it." 

This  sent  a  smile  over  the  assembly,  and  Hawkins 
turned  next  to  Hans,  who  was  looking  sleepy  and  dull. 

"They  tell  me  you  have  also  traveled,  Mr.  Dunner- 
wust,"  said  the  chaffing  cadet,  "Which  method  of  travel 
do  you  prefer  ?" 

"Veil,"  replied  the  Dutch  boy,  promptly,  "I  don'd  peen 
stuck  on  dot  trafeling  by  rail." 

And  the  whole  table  roared  with  delight. 

That  afternoon  was  spent  in  studying  and  writing  let- 
ters. Frank  had  several  to  write,  and  he  found  an  op- 
portunity to  do  so  without  interruption. 

He  had  finished  his  last  letter  and  stepped  to  the  front 


i88  A  Case  of  Nerve. 

of  the  tent,  when  he  saw  Hodge,  Leslie  Gage  and  Cadet 
Hawkins  talking  earnestly  together  some  distance  down 
the  street.  Gage  instantly  saw  Frank  appear,  and,  with 
a  low  word  to  the  others,  he  walked  away. 

It  seemed,  however,  that  Hodge  and  Hawkins  were 
engaged  in  some  angry  altercation,  and  they  did  not 
mind  that  Merriwell  was  watching  them. 

All  at  once,  to  Frank's  amazement,  Bart  suddenly  and 
swiftly  slapped  Hawkins  across  the  face  with  a  glove, 
which  he  held  in  his  hand.  Hawkins  would  have  re- 
turned the  blow  with  one  straight  from  the  shoulder,  but 
Hodge  leaped  back,  and  twenty  cadets,  who  had  been 
watching  the  two  from  a  distance,  rushed  in  and  dragged 
the  two  apart,  hustling  them  away  so  the  officers  should 
see  nothing  they  would  be  forced  to  report. 

"Jingoes!"  muttered  Frank.  "That  means  a  fight,  and 
Hodge  deliberately  brought  it  on!  I  wonder  what  it 
is  about  ?" 

A  short  time  later  Bart  came  to  the  tent,  his  face  still 
flushed.  To  Frank's  surprise,  he  spoke: 

"Did  you  see  me  slap  that  fellow,  Merriwell?"  he 
asked. 

"Yes." 

"Well,  he  insulted  me — he  charged  me  with  being 
concerned  in  the  stealing  of  your  medal." 

"Well,  weren't  you?"  asked  Frank,  coolly. 

Bart  dropped  back  a  step,  and  then  promptly  an- 
swered : 

"No,  sir;  I  had  nothing  whatever  to-  do  with  it." 

""How  about  that  handkerchief  with  your  initial  in  the 
corner." 

"I  knew  you  would  bring  that  up.  It  is  something 
that  puzzles  me." 


A  Case  of  Nerve.  189 

"Then  you  acknowledge  that  the  handkerchief  was 
yours?" 

"No.  It  certainly  was  like  mine;  but  I  do  not  believe 
it  was  mine?" 

"You  do  not  believe  it?  What  do  you  know  about 
it?" 

"I  know  it  was  not  mine,  unless  it  was  stolen  from 
me." 

A  cold  smile  came  to  Frank's  face. 

"Doesn't  that  strike  you  as  a  little  thin,  Hodge?  Do 
you  expect  to  squirm  out  of  it  that  way?" 

Hodge  flung  out  one  hand,  with  a  desperate  gesture. 

"You  have  every  reason  to  be  down  on  me,  Merri- 
well,"  he  confessed.  "I  acknowledge  that;  but  I  swear 
to  you  that  I  had  no  hand  in  the  stealing  of  your  medal." 

"The  handkerchief,  which  is  in  Lieutenant  Gordan's 
possession,  will  prove  a  strong  piece  of  evidence  against 
you,  I  fancy." 

"It  may  serve  to  make  some  trouble  for  me,  but,  as 
evidence,  it  will  amount  to  nothing." 

"How  is  that?" 

"I  shall  prove  an  alibi." 

"An  alibi?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"How?" 

"I  can  prove  that  I  did  not  leave  the  limits  of  the 
camp  on  the  night  that  you  were  waylaid  and  robbed— 
last  night." 

"You  say  you  can  prove  this?" 

"I  do.     If  I  prove  it,  I  have  a  favor  to  ask  of  you/' 

"What  favor?" 

"I  want  you  to  be  my  second  in  the  fight  with  Haw- 
kins/' 


190  A  Case  ot  Nerve. 

Frank  was  fairly  staggered  by  the  nerve  of  this  request 

"Don't  you  think  you  are  asking  rather  too  much  of 
me,  Hodge?"  he  said,  slowly.  "We  have  never  been 
friends,  and  your  fight  with  Hawkins  came  about,  as  you 
have  said,  through  his  charging  you  with  having  a  hand 
in  the  robbery  of  the  medal.  I  should  think  you  could 
see  that,  under  the  circumstances,  I  am  in  a  position 
where  I  cannot  act  as  your  second." 

"Then  you  refuse?"  asked  Bart,  bitterly, 

"I  am  obliged  to." 

"Oh,  all  right!  It  is  the  first  time  I  have  seen  fit  to 
ask  a  favor  of  you,  and  it  will  be  the  last!  I  am  willing 
to  bury  the  hatchet  and  be  friendly,  but  I  see  you  will 
not  have  it  so.  I  have  told  you  the  truth  about  having 
had  nothing  to  do  with  the  stealing  of  your  medal,  as  I 
shall  prove  it  to  your  satisfaction — or  dissatisfaction. 
You  hate  me,  and  I  suppose  you  would  be  glad  to  see 
me  expelled  from  the  academy." 

"I  have  no  love  for  you,  Hodge,"  said  the  other  lad, 
frankly;  "but  I  have  no  desire  to  injure  you  as  long  as 
you  do  right  and  let  me  alone.  You  should  know  this 
by  the  past,  for  I  could  have  kept  you  out  of  the  academy 
had  I  seen  fit  to  tell  the  truth  concerning  you." 

"So  you  fling  that  in  my  face!  All  right!  all  right! 
You  may  think  you  are  too  good  to  have  anything  to  do 
with  me;  but  I  assure  you  that  my  people  move  in  circles 
that  neither  you  nor  any  of  your  relations  could  ever 

enter.     I  shall  have  nothing  to  do  with  you  in  the  future 
»> 

"Which  will  be  a  great  relief  to  me." 
liodgre  bit  his  lip,  restraining  a  violent  outburst  of 
anger  with  no  little  difficulty. 

Somehow  he  had  formed  the  idea  that,  for  all  of  the 


A  Case  of  Nerve.  191 

past,  Merriwell  would  be  only  too  glad  to  accept  him  as 
a  friend,  and  it  galled  his  proud  spirit  to  have  his  over- 
tures rebuffed. 

As  for  Frank,  it  seemed  possible  that  Hodge  realized 
the  handkerchief  had  placed  him  in  a  very  bad  box,  and 
he  had  made  this  desperate  "bluff"  in  order  to  make  it 
seem  that  Merriwell  was  his  friend  and  did  not  think 
him  concerned  in  the  robbery,  for  it  would  certainly  have 
seemed  thus  had  Frank  consented  to  act  as  his  second. 

But  the  game  did  not  work,  and  Hodge  departed  in 
a  huff,  after  again  declaring  he  would  prove  an  alibi  as 
i'ar  as  the  robbery  was  concerned. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

ESTABLISHING     AN     ALIBI. 

Bart  seemed  to  be  in  earnest,  for  he  went  directly  to 
Professor  Gunn,  whom  he  told  how  the  handkerchief 
bearing  his  initial  had  been  used  in  the  assault  upon 
Merriwell,  and  how  it  had  been  delivered  to  Lieutenant 
Gordan,  who  might  call  a  court  of  inquiry. 

"Well,  well,  well!"  exclaimed  the  professor,  "And 
you  say  the  handkerchief  is  yours?" 

"No,  sir.    What  I  say  is  that  it  is  exactly  like  mine." 

"And  you  deny  that  you  had  any  hand  in  the  attack 
upon  and  robbery  of  Mr.  Merriwell?" 

"Most  emphatically,  sir." 

"But  how  do  you  explain  this  handkerchief  business  ?" 

"I  do  not  attempt  to  explain  it  further  than  to  say 
that,  if  the  handkerchief  is  mine,  it  must  have  been  stolen 
from  the  laundry,  or  given  some  other  fellow  by  mis- 
take." 

"Slim,  sir — slim !  It  looks  bad.  If  you  are  really  in- 
nocent, this  handkerchief  affair  is  most  unfortunate  for 
you." 

"But  I  want  you  to  call  an  investigation  before  Lieu- 
tenant Gordan  proceeds  to  that  extremity.  I  will  prove 
to  your  satisfaction  that  I  did  not  leave  the  limits  of  the 
camp  that  evening.  That  ought  to  settle  this  matter  so 
far  as  I  am  concerned." 

The  professor  finally  agreed  to  call  a  meeting  and  give 
Bart  an  opportunity  to  prove  his  claim.  Bart  gave  the 


Establishing  tin  Alibi.  193 

names  of  those  he  wished  to  be  present,  and  then  de- 
departed,  muttering: 

"I  will  clear  myself  of  this  scrape,  and  then  I  will  do 
my  best  to  lick  Hawkins.  If  I  succeed,  it  will  come 
pretty  near  setting  me  right  with  the  fellows  who  are 
down  on  me.  And  I  ought  to  give  Hawkins  a  tight  go, 
for,  ever  since  my  fight  with  Frank  Merriwell,  I  have 
been  taking  boxing  lessons,  with  the  idea  of  getting  at 
Merriwell  again  and  doing  him  up." 

Had  it  not  been  Sunday,  without  doubt  Hodge  would 
have  been  waited  on  immediately  by  a  friend  from  Haw- 
kins. At  Fardale,  however,  it  was  a  point  of  honor 
never  to  fight  on  Sundays,  nor  to  transact  any  business 
in  connection  with  a  fight,  so  nothing  further  was  done 
that  day,  although  it  became  plain  that  something  un- 
usual had  taken  place,  for  there  was  an  air  of  suppressed 
excitement  all  over  the  camp. 

Lieutenant  Gordan  had  been  at  work,  and  Hodge 
would  have  been  called  to  explain  the  handkerchief  mat- 
ter by  him  had  not  Professor  Gunn  requested  him  to 
delay  that  matter  a  short  time. 

The  lieutenant  did  not  know  why  the  professor  made 
such  a  request,  but,  although  he  was  not  quite  pleased 
by  it,  he  agreed. 

During  the  forenoon  of  the  next  day  n®  time  was 
given  for  Hawkins  to  send  a  friend  to  confer  with 
Hodge's  second,  and  so  it  came  about  that  before  going 
into  the  fight,  Bart  was  given  an  opportunity  to  prove 
his  innocence  in  regard  to  the  assault  and  robbery. 

Frank  Merriwell  was  notified  to  appear  at  a  certain 
hour  in  one  of  the  academy  rooms,  and  when  he  arrived 
there,  he  found  quite  a  little  company  assembled. 

.The  three  professors  were  there,  looking  solemn  and 


194  Establishing  an  Alibi. 

dignified,  Lieutenant  Gordan  was  on  hand,  seeming 
rather  displeased,  as  if  he  did  not  relish  having  a  matter 
in  his  province  interfered  with ;  Cadet  Lieutenant  Swift, 
Cadet  Corporal  Burrage  and  plebes  Gray  and  Davis  were 
also  present,  wearing  puzzled  expressions  on  their  faces, 
as  if  they  did  not  understand  just  what  it  was  all  about, 
^nd  Bartley  Hodge  was  on  hand,  looking  cool  and  con- 
fident, as  if  there  was  no  reason  in  the  wide  world  why 
he  should  be  anxious. 

As  soon  as  Merriwell  appeared,  the  doors  were  locked, 
and  Professor  Gunn  made  known  the  reason  why  they 
were  assembled  there. 

As  usual,  he  was  very  verbose,  having  a  great  deal  to 
say  that  might  well  have  been  omitted,  but  he  finally 
made  it  hazily  plain  that  they  had  come  together  at 
Hodge's  request  to  give  him  a  chance  to  prove  his  in- 
nocence in  connection  with  the  assault  and  robbery  of 
Merriwell.  An  object  of  the  secret  investigation  and 
hearing  was  to  prevent  any  false  moves,  as  it  certainly 
would  have  been  a  false  move  had  Hodge  been  arraigned 
and  charged  with  something  of  which  he  was  entirely  in- 
nocent, as  he  could  readily  prove. 

Lieutenant  Gordan  smiled  sarcastically,  but  said  noth- 
ing. He  declined  to  press  any  charge  against  Hodge, 
saying  that  such  an  investigation  was  unmilitary  and 
entirely  out  of  his  line. 

Then  it  fell  on  Professor  Gunn  to  make  further  ex- 
planation, which  he  did,  exhibiting  the  marked  handker- 
chief that  had  been  saturated  with  chloroform  and  used 
to  overcome  Merriwell  and  showing  one  of  Hodge's, 
which  was  fresh  from  the  laundry. 

The  handkerchiefs  were  exactly  alike  so  far  as  make 
and  marking  were  concerned. 


Establishing  an  Alibi.  195 

Hodge  acknowledged  that  the  handkerchief  from  the 
laundry  belonged  to  him,  and  he  did  not  deny  that  the 
other  might  be  his. 

Then  he  was  given  the  opportunity  to  prove  an  alibi. 

Hodge  was  cool  and  calm,  as  he  arose,  saying: 

"In  order  for  me  to  establish  my  innocence  clearly, 
gentlemen,  I  will  have  to  ask  Mr.  Merriwell  a  few  ques- 
tions. Have  I  permission  to  do  so?" 

Frank  nodded,  and  Professor  Gunn  gave  permission. 

"At  what  time  did  you  leave  the  academy  grounds  on 
Saturday  evening,  Mr.  Merriwell?" 

"I  do  not  know  exactly — some  time  between  six  and 
seven  o'clock,  I  presume,"  was  the  reply. 

"You  walked  to  Fardale  village?" 

"I  did." 

"Alone?" 

"No,"  said  Frank,  blushing  a  bit,  yet  speaking  dis- 
tinctly and  steadily;  "I  accompanied  a  young  lady." 

"I  presume  you  walked  slowly?" 

"We  did." 

"It  is  a  full  mile  to  Fardale,  is  it  not  ?" 

"It  is  called  so,  I  believe." 

"And  you  may  have  taken  thirty  minutes  to  walk  it?" 

"Yes,  possibly  more." 

"Did  you  return  immediately  ?" 

"No;  I  stopped  to  chat  a  few  minutes  at  the  young 
lady's  door." 

"In  this  way  you  consumed  considerable  time — possi- 
bly an  hour?  I  mean  in  walking  over  and  in  chatting 
with  her  at  the  door." 

"Yes,  possibly  an  hour." 

"Had  the  sun  set  before  you  reached  her  home?" 

"Yes." 


f96  Establishing  an  Alibi, 

"Was  it  dark  when  you  started  to  return  to  camp?" 

"Quite  dark." 

"And  it  was  very  dark  when  you  were  attacked  ?" 

"Yes;  the  sky  was  overcast,  and  that  made  it  very 
dark  early  in  the  evening." 

At  this  point  Bart  produced  an  almanac  from  his 
pocket,  turning  to  the  attentive  professors,  as  he  said : 

"You  will  please  no|e,  sirs,  that  on  last  Saturday  the 
sun  set  at  seven-forty-three.  Mr.  Merriwell  has  stated 
that  the  sun  had  set  before  he  reached  the  home  of  the 
young  lady.  It  surely  could  not  have  been  very  dark 
before  eight  o'clock,  or  even  later." 

"Very  clear — very,"  nodded  High  Jinks,  gravely, 
speaking  in  a  thin,  high-pitched  voice — a  voice  that 
sometimes  suddenly  shot  off  into  a  squeak  that  was  liable 
to  astonish  and  startle  a  stranger. 

"Very,"  agreed  little  Hot  Scotch,  in  a  deep,  rumbling 
voice  that  seemed  suitable  for  a  giant. 

"Saturday  evening,  from  eight  until  nine,  the  band 
gave  a  concert,"  said  Hodge.  "What  time  was  it  when 
you  reached  the  camp,  Mr.  Merriwell  ?" 

"Just  after  the  concert  was  finished,"  replied  Frank. 

"Or  a  few  minutes  after  nine  ?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"How  long  before  that  did  the  assault  and  robbery 
occur?" 

"Possibly  thirty  minutes." 

"Very  good,"  smiled  Bart,  thoroughly  satisfied.  "I 
am  now  going  to  prove  that  I  was  in  camp,  listening  to 
the  concert  from  eight  till  nine  o'clock.  Having  taken 
part  in  the  sports  during  the  afternoon,  I  was  tired,  and 
I  did  not  move  about  any  during  that  time.  There  were 


Establishing  an  Alibi.  197 

others  who  felt  the  same  as  myself.  One  was  Mr. 
Davis,  here,  who  sat  at  my  side  and  chatted  with  me 
throughout  the  entire  concert.  Is  that  statement  true, 
Mr.  Davis  ?" 

Davis  said  it  was. 

"Another,"  continued  Bart,  "is  Lieutenant  Swift,  who 
sat  directly  behind  me,  and  must  have  noticed  me.  Did 
you  observe  me,  Mr.  Swift?" 

"I  did,"  replied  the  young  cadet  officer  promptly,  for, 
although  he  did  not  like  Bart,  he  was  more  than  ready 
to  aid  in  clearing  the  fellow  of  such  a  serious  charge, 
in  case  he  was  not  guilty.  "I  noticed  you  several  times 
during  the  concert." 

"You  did  not  see  me  leave  the  locality,  sir?" 

"I  am  sure  you  did  not." 

"That  should  be  enough,"  smiled  Hodge  triumphantly; 
"but  Corporal  Burrage  was  talking  with  Mr.  Swift.  It  is 
possible  he  observed  me?" 

"I  did,"  said  Walter  Burrage,  who  was  the  brother  of 
Inza  Burrage  and  the  friend  of  Merriwell  so  far  as  a 
yearling  may  be  friendly  with  a  plebe. 

"And  you  did  not  see  me  leave  the  locality?" 

"No,  sir." 

Hodge  was  now  very  dignified.  His  manner  plainly 
said  that  he  had  been  falsely  suspected,  and  somebody 
owed  him  an  apology. 

"To  clinch  the  matter,"  he  went  on,  "I  will  call  on 
Mr.  Gray,  who  is  a  particular  friend  of  Mr.  Merriwell. 
Mr.  Gray  sat  on  the  opposite  side  of  me  from  Mr.  Davis, 
and,  although  we  did  not  exchange  any  words,  I  am 
quite  sure  he  noticed  me.  Did  you  not,  Mr.  Gray?" 

"I  did,  sir,"  nodded  Ned  Gray. 


198  Establishing  an  Alibi. 

"And,  once  more,  did  you  see  me  leave  the  locality 
during  the  time  the  concert  lasted  ?" 

"No,  sir." 

"That  is  all,"  said  Hodge,  loftily.  "I  have  clearly 
proved  an  alibi.  It  will  be  seen  that  I  have  been  very 
unfairly  and  unjustly  suspected.  I  have  not  the  least 
idea  in  the  world  how  my  handkerchief — if  that  is  my 
handkerchief — came  in  the  possession  of  the  person  or 
persons  who  robbed  Mr.  Merriwell.  I  have  nothing 
more  to  say  about  the  matter."  And  he  sat  down  with 
great  dignity. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

FRANK   CREATES   A  COMMOTION. 

Of  those  assembled,  Lieutenant  Gordan  was  the  only 
one  who  did  not  look  satisfied. 

The  officer's  face  wore  a  strange  expression,  but  he 
said  nothing. 

Strange  to  say,  Frank  Merriwell  seemed  the  most  re- 
lieved of  any  one  present. 

In  fact,  Merriwell's  generous  heart  had  not  felt  at  all 
elated  at  discovering  that  Hodge  was  the  owner  of  the 
telltale  handkerchief.  Hodge  was  an  enemy,  it  is  true,  but 
of  late  he  had  been  very  much  scorned  among  the  cadets, 
and  it  was  not  Frank's  desire  to  "kick  a  fellow  when  he 
is  down." 

Still  he  would  not  have  felt  any  qualms  had  it  been 
proved  that  Hodge  was  guilty,  even  though  expulsion 
for  the  dark-haired  lad  must  have  followed  such  proof. 

If  Hodge  were  innocent,  Frank  desired  all  along  that 
he  should  prove  it,  and,  now  that  Bart  had  established 
an  alibi,  he  felt  like  rushing  over  and  shaking  his  hand. 

This  impulse  he  restrained;  but  he  decided  that  he 
must  relieve  his  feelings  some  way. 

Being  a  very  good  mimic  and  amateur  ventriloquist, 
he  decided  to  have  some  sport  at  the  expense  of  the  two 
under-professors. 

High  Jinks  and  Hot  Scotch  were  both  bachelors,  but 
both  had  been  smitten  by  the  charms  of  a  rather  frisky 
widow  who  lived  in  Fardale  village. 

The  widow's  name  was  Nancy  Cobb,  and  she  had 


200        Frank  Creates  a  Commotion. 

encouraged  both  Scotch  and  Jenks,  plainly  hoping  to 
capture  one  of  them. 

The  boys  of  the  academy  were  well-posted  in  regard 
to  the  situation,  and  they  had  been  able  to  secure  not  a 
little  sport  from  it. 

Now  Frank  "threw"  his  voice  in  such  a  manner  that 
High  Jenks  seemed  to  suddenly  squeak: 

"Perhaps  Professor  Scotch  may  have  observed  Mr, 
Merriwell  in  the  village  Saturday  night,  as  he  was  there 
looking  after  his  girl." 

"Eh?"  roared  the  little  red-headed  professor,  bristling 
up  and  turning  fiercely  on  his  tall,  lank  companion. 
44 What  did  you  say,  sir?" 

Jenks  looked  astounded. 

"I  didn't  say  a  word,"  he  piped,  instantly. 

"Yes,  you  did!"  bellowed  the  little  man.  "You 
said " 

"Gentlemen!"  cried  Professor  Gunn;  "be  silent!  I 
am  astonished  that  you  should  make  such  a  display  be- 
fore those  present.  Discipline  is  the  first  law  of  this 
academy,  and  I  mean  to  enforce  it  or  see  that  it  is  enforced 
on  any  and  all  occasions.  If  you  have  any  private  bick- 
erings, settle  them  in  private." 

"Oh,  go  bag  your  head!"  said  a  voice  that  was  a 
strange  combination  of  Jenks'  squeak  and  Scotch's  roar. 

"What's  that?"  shouted  the  head  professor,  jumping 
into  the  air  and  glaring  at  his  assistants,  who  trembled 
and  cowered  before  him.  "Which  of  you  said  that  ?" 

"It  wasn't  I,  sir,"  quavered  Jenks. 

"Nor  I,"  rumbled  Scotch. 

"But  it  was  one  or  both  of  you,"  persisted  Professor 
Gunn. 

"I  didn't  open  my  mouth,"  asserted  Jenks. 


Frank  Creates  a  Commotion.        201 

"I  did  not  speak,  sir,"  assured  Scotch. 

Professor  Gutin  looked  puzzled  and  angry. 

"I  scarcely  think  my  hearing  is  so  much  at  fault  as  all 
that,"  he  said,  with  great  dignity.  "I  heard  one  or  both 
of  you  retort  to  me  in  a  very  disrespectful  and  slangy 
manner." 

"Rats!" 

The  word  began  in  a  deep  rumble,  and  ended  in  a 
squeak. 

Professor  Gunn  nearly  fell  over  backward.  Never 
before  in  his  experience  had  anything  of  the  kind  hap- 
pened. On  all  occasions  his  two  assistants  had  seemed 
exceedingly  polite  and  respectful  in  their  demeanor  toward 
him. 

"This  is  disgraceful !"  he  cried — "disgraceful — in- 
famous !" 

"Oh,  come  off  your  perch !" 

The  head  professor  sprang  forward  and  pointed 
straight  at  Scotch. 

"You  said  that !"  he  cried.    "You  can't  deny  it !" 

"But  I  do  deny  it,  sir — I  did  not  say  a  word." 

The  man's  teeth  were  chattering,  and  he  was  the  perfect 
picture  of  terror. 

"He's  crazy,"  Jenks  seemed  to  declare — "he's  stuck  on 
old  Aunt  Cobb,  and  that's  made  him  crazy." 

That  was  altogether  too  much  for  the  red-headed  pro- 
fessor. Up  he  shot,  like  a  rocket,  beating  the  air  with  his 
clenched  fists,  as  he  bellowed : 

"'Old  Aunt  Cobb!'  The  lady  is  twenty  years  his 
junior !  Everybody  heard  him  then !  Dignity  or  no  dig- 
nity, I  will  defend  a  lady !  I'll  challenge  Mr.  Jenks  to  a 
deadly  dud !  This  matter  shall  be  settled  on  the  field  of 
honor !" 


202        Frank  Creates  a  Commotion. 

"Silence!  silence!  silence!"  shouted  Professor  Gunn, 
growing  purple.  "If  this  does  not  cease  immediately,  I 
will  have  you  both  removed  from  your  positions  by  the 
board  of  directors.  I  believe  you  are  crazy,  both  of 
you !" 

The  threat  was  enough  to  make  both  Scotch  and  Jenks 
collapse  into  their  seats,  where  they  sat  glaring  at  each 
other  and  trembling  with  mingled  apprehension  and 
anger. 

To  those  who  were  witnessing  this  scene  it  seemed 
comical  in  the  extreme,  and  it  was  with  great  difficulty 
that  the  boys  kept  from  shouting  with  laughter.  Looking 
at  each  other  out  of  the  corners  of  their  eyes,  the  two 
enraged  professors  held  their  hands  low  down  by  their 
sides,  so  Professor  Gunn  could  not  see  them,  and  shook 
them  menacingly  at  each  other. 

Probably  the  most  disgusted  person  present  was  Lieu- 
tenant Gordan,  whose  appreciation  of  humor  was  small, 
and  whose  ideas  of  discipline  and  respectful  show  were 
rigid. 

"This  is  what  comes  of  such  unofficial  investigations," 
he  muttered,  angrily.  "They  do  more  injury  to  the  acad- 
emy than  anything  else  possibly  could.  And  still  it  is 
Professor  Gunn's  boast  that  the  school  is  modeled  accu- 
rately after  West  Point!" 

He  arose  and  left  the  room,  his  manner  expressing  his 
feelings  full  as  well  as  if  he  had  spoken  out  plainly. 

Professor  Gunn  stood  glaring  at  his  two  assistants  and 
breathing  heavily.  Plainly  his  feelings  were  too  outraged 
for  words.  A  deep  silence  fell  on  the  room. 

It  was  broken  by  the  squeaking  of  a  rat. 

Now,  if  there  was  anything  in  the  wide  world  that 


Frank  Creates  a  Commotion.        20} 

could  make  the  hair  that  surrounded  the  bald  spot  on 
Zenas  Gunn's  head  stand  erect  it  was  a  rat. 

He  hated  and  feared  rats  with  all  the  intensity  of  his 
nature,  and  he  showed  symptoms  of  alarm  at  the  first 
squeak. 

Squeak ! squeak ! squeak ! 

Professor  Gunn  grasped  a  pointer,  and,  beginning  to 
quiver  from  head  to  feet,  sprang  up  on  a  chair,  after  the 
style  of  a  woman  who  has  been  frightened  by  a  mouse. 

"Hear  that!"  he  cried.  "It's  a  rat!  Hear  it!  He's 
close  around  here  somewhere.  Kill  him — kill  the  beast! 
Don't  let  him  touch  me !" 

Scotch  and  Jenks  jumped  up  and  looked  about  for  the 
rat,  both  eager  to  kill  the  creature,  and  thus  restore  them- 
selves in  favor  with  Professor  Gunn. 

"Young  gentlemen,"  said  the  professor,  appealingly, 
"will  you  be  good  enough  to  assist  in  the  destruction  of 
this  rat?" 

"Order  out  a  battalion !"  Hot  Scotch  seemed  to  roar. 

"Arm  them  with  squirt-guns!"  High  Jinks  seemed  to 
squeal. 

"This  is  no  time  for  levity !"  snarled  Professor  Gunn. 
"Can't  you  hear  that  rat  squeaking  for  me?  There — 
there !  Hear  him !  He  must  be  right  under  this  chair !" 

Then  the  alarmed  professor  made  frantic  efforts  to 
crawl  up  on  the  back  of  the  chair,  so  he  might  be  still 
higher  from  the  floor.  In  doing  this  he  lost  his  balance, 
pitched  heavily  upon  High  Jinks,  whom  he  clutched 
frantically  about  the  slender  neck. 

The  head  professor  was  somewhat  corpulent,  and  Jenks 
was  not  muscular. 

Down  they  went,  and  it  happened  that  little  Hot  Scotch 
was  beneatk 


204        Frank  Creates  a  Commotion. 

They  flattened  him  out  on  the  floor  in  a  most  alarming 
manner,  bringing  a  roar  from  his  lips  such  as  might  have 
escaped  a  giant 

The  boys  rushed  forward  and  dragged  them  apart,  but 
the  little  professor  -was  completely  done  up. 

In  the  meantime  it  seemed  that  the  rat  had  escaped, 
for  he  was  not  heard  again,  and  the  excitement  gradually 
subsided. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

HODGE     GROWS      DESPERATE. 

"Look  here,  Merriwell,"  said  Ned  Gray,  drawing  him 
aside  as  they  were  returning  to  camp,  "I  am  dead  onto 
you." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  asked  Frank. 

"You  made  the  squeaking  that  Old  Gunn  thought  was 
a  rat.  Now,  you  can't  deny  it." 

"All  right,  if  you  say  so,"  smiled  Frank.  "I  don't  like 
to  contradict  a  friend." 

"Well,  wasn't  it  you?     Now,  be  honest?" 

"Possibly." 

"I  knew  it !"  cried  Ned,  slapping  his  thigh.  "You  are 
a  jolly  dog,  Merriwell!  Now  I  tumble  to  something 
else." 

"Is  that  so?" 

"Sure.  Twice  when  High  Jinks  and  Hot  Scotch 
seemed  to  say  something  I  did  not  see  their  lips  move." 

"Well?" 

"I  don't  believe  they  made  half  the  talk  Old  Gunn 
thought  they  did.  You  were  at  the  bottom  of  it,  Frank 
Merriwell !  You  are  a  ventriloquist !" 

Frank  said  nothing,  but  he  was  not  pleased  to  have 
Gray  discover  the  truth,  for  he  knew  it  might  get  out  and 
so  cause  him  serious  trouble. 

Ned  was  studying  Frank's  face  closely,  and  he  was 
swift  to  detect  the  cloud  upon  it.  Being  a  bright  lad,  he 
immediately  divined  the  cause  of  the  shadow,  and  he 
said: 


206          Hodge  Grows  Desperate. 

"Now,  you  needn't  be  afraid  that  I  will  blow  on  you, 
Merriwell.  I  am  not  that  kind  of  a  fellow,  and  I  like  fun 
too  well  myself.  By  Jove !  you  are  a  dandy !" 

Then  Frank  thought  it  best  to  make  a  "clean  breast" 
and  bind  Ned  to  secrecy,  which  he  did. 

The  two  lads  laughed  heartily  over  the  row  Frank  had 
bri>r.ght  about,  and  the  situations  seemed  far  more  comical 
to  Ned  when  he  understood  that  Scotch  and  Jenks  had  not 
said  half  the  offensive  things  to  each  other  that  they  were 
supposed  to  say. 

"You're  a  genius,  Merriwell!"  chuckled  Ned.  "You 
will  be  the  ruin  of  this  school  if  you  keep  on.  Why, 
such  a  thing  as  an  open  quarrel  between  the  professors  is 
unh<?ard  of !  It  will  be  nuts  for  the  fellows !" 

Then  Ned  spoke  of  Hodge,  whom  he  cordially  dis- 
liked. 

"It  is  sure  enough  that  fellow  was  not  in  the  crowd 
that  robbed  you,  Merriwell,"  he  said.  "He's  none  too 
good  for  a  job  like  that ;  but  he  kept  out  this  time." 

"That  being  the  case,  I  am  glad  he  proved  his  inno- 
cence," said  Frank,  heartily.  "I  don't  want  to  see  any 
fellow  punished  for  something  he  didn't  do,  even  though 
he  is  an  enemy  to  me." 

"You  are  always  generous,  old  man." 

"I  try  to  be  just,  at  least." 

That  night,  immediately  after  supper,  as  Hodge  was 
standing  in  front  of  the  tent,  Leslie  Gage  came  up. 

"Mr.  Hodge,"  he  said,  "my  friend,  Mr.  Hawkins,  de- 
mands an  apology  from  you." 

Hodge  whistled. 

"So  you  are  Hawkins'  second!"  he  sneered.    "I  did 


Hodge  Grows  Desperate.  207 

have  an  idea  that  I  could  count  on  you  as  a  friend.  You 
have  been  willing  enough  to  share  what  my  money 
bought." 

Gage  colored,  and  then  hotly  returned : 

"Have  a  care,  plebe,  or  you  will  find  another  fight  on 
your  hands  when  Hawkins  is  done  with  you!  You  are 
altogether  too  free  with  your  tongue." 

"Oh,  am  I !"  retorted  Hodge,  with  spirit.  "Well,  I  am 
not  afraid  of  Hawkins,  yourself,  or  your  whole  company. 
I  will  fight  you  both,  one  after  the  other,  and  I'll  fight  at 
any  time  and  any  place  you  may  name !" 

Frank  Merriwell  had  come  to  the  front  of  the  tent,  and 
he  felt  like  applauding  Hodge.  For  the  first  time  since 
they  first  met,  he  felt  a  touch  of  admiration  for  the  proud- 
spirited, dark-haired  lad. 

Barney  Mulloy  gasped  with  astonishment: 

"Thot  do  bate  th'  Dutch !" 

"Veil,  I  dunno  apout  dot,"  said  Hans.  "Maype  I  do 
petter  as  dot  uf  I  vas  in  his  blace,  ain'd  id?" 

"Oh,  all  right,  my  hearty!"  returned  Gage,  angrily. 
"I  rather  think  Hawkins  will  give  you  all  you  need,  and 
you  will  be  only  too  glad  to  apologize  to  me  then." 

At  this  moment,  seeing  something  was  up,  Hugh  Bas- 
comb  came  toward  the  spot. 

"What's  the  row  here,  Mr.  Hodge?"  he  asked,  gruffly, 
glaring  at  Gage.  "Who  is  looking  for  bother?  Can  I 
serve  you,  Mr.  Hodge?" 

Bart  hesitated,  colored,  glanced  swiftly  at  his  tent- 
mates,  and  then  said : 

"Yes,  you  can  act  as  my  second,  Mr.  Bascomb.  I  have 
to  meet  Mr.  Hawkins.  I  will  leave  you  to  make  arrange- 
ments with  Mr.  Gage.'* 


2o8  Hodge  Grows  Desperate. 

Then  he  walked  away,  and  left  the  two  together. 

"By  Jove!"  said  Frank,  in  a  low  tone,  to  Barney,  "I 
am  really  ashamed !  It  is  pretty  hard  when  a  fellow  has 
to  go  outside  his  tent-mates  for  a  second." 

"Thot's  so,"  confessed  the  Irish  lad;  "but  Hodge  has 
nivver  a  saoul  but  himsilf  to  blame  at  all,  at  all." 

'•'That  is  true  enough,  perhaps.  However,  it  was  plain 
he  did  not  accept  Bascomb  from  choice.  He  appeared 
rather  ashamed  to  be  forced  into  taking  him  at  all.  Bas- 
comb is  a  coarse,  cheap  felloWj,  and  Hodge  has  good  blood 
in  his  veins,  for  all  of  his  record.  He  is  no  coward  when 
it  comes  to  a  fi£ht,  and  I  do  not  believe  he  is  unusually 
cowardly  under  any  circumstances,  though  he  is  easily 
rattled,  and  loses  his  head." 

"Ye're  too  aisy  wid  him,  Frankie,  b'y.  Whoy,  av  he 
had  done  to  some  fellys  pwhat  he  has  to  yez,  they'd 
nivver  rist  till  they  had  squared  it  wid  him." 

"Oh,  what's  the  use  to  hold  a  grudge  like  that.  I  am 
going  to  see  this  fight,  and  I  hope  Hodge  will  lick  Haw- 
kins." 

That  evening  a  number  of  the  cadets  succeeded  in  leav- 
ing the  grounds  on  various  excuses,  some  dodged  the 
sentries,  and  at  least  fifty  fellows  escaped  in  one  way  or 
another. 

They  were  all  headed  for  the  old  boathouse  down  the 
cove. 

Not  many  of  the  plebes  knew  of  the  impending  fight, 
but  Frank,  Barney,  and  Hans  found  a  way  to  be  on 
hand. 

It  was  an  excited  mob  that  gathered  in  the  boathouse, 
at  the  windows  of  which  three  thicknesses  of  old  sails  had 
"been  hune.  so  the  Iteht  mis-ht  not  be  seen  on  the  outside. 


Hodge  Grows  Desperate.  209 

Again,  through  his  second,  Hawkins  demanded  an 
apology  from  Hodge,  but  the  dark-haired  boy  simply 
laughed  at  him,  and  then  they  stripped. 

Hawkins  showed  up  splendidly.  His  flesh  was  hard 
and  firm,  and  the  muscles  of  his  arms,  back,  and  breast 
stood  out  plainly  in  folds,  telling  that  he  had  trained  to  a 
point  that  was  little  short  of  perfection.  He  was  confident 
of  "doing"  the  plebe  with  very  little  trouble. 

It  seemed  that  Hawkins  had  a  record  as  a  fighter,  and 
Hodge  was  told  over  and  over  that  he  had  insulted  the 
best  man  in  the  whole  corps. 

Bart's  face  was  gray  and  hard,  and  his  eyes  blazing. 
He  said  very  little,  but  he  had  a  sort  of  do-or-die  look 
that  seemed  to  indicate  that  he  meant  to  win  the  fight  if 
it  lay  in  him. 

He  did  not  show  up  so  well  when  he  had  stripped  to 
the  waist,  although  he  seemed  supple  and  sinewy.  Plainly 
he  lacked  the  advantage  Hawkins  had  received  by  long 
and  steady  training. 

But  the  two  lads  were  going  into  the  fight  in  entirely 
different  moods.  Hawkins  was  confident,  as  he  had  never 
been  whipped  by  any  one  since  entering  the  school,  and 
he  knew  that,  considering  the  training  he  had  received, 
he  should  be  scientifically,  as  well  as  physically,  Hodge's 
superior. 

On  the  other  hand,  Hodge  was  desperate,  although 
wonderfully  cool.  In  his  heart  he  seemed  to  feel  as  if  it 
were  a  matter  of  life  or  death  with  him.  Of  late  he  had 
been  under  a  cloud  ;  if  he  could  whip  Hawkins,  he  fancied 
the  cloud  would  lift.  And  he  felt  that  the  cloud  must  be 
lifted  if  he  remained  in  Fardale  Academy,  for  his  proud 
spirit  could  not  endure  the  present  condition  of  things. 


2io          Hodge  Grows  Desperate. 

He  would  fight  like  a  wildcat,  and  his  opponent  was 
liable  to  meet  with  an  unpleasant  surprise. 

Frank  read  all  this  in  Bart's  face. 

"I  am  going  to  see  that  he  has  fair  play,"  muttered 
Merriwell. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

FRANK  SEES  FAIR  PLAY. 

There  was  a  strained  hush  of  expectation  as  the  two 
lads  came  up  to  the  scratch. 

The  referee  gave  the  word,  and  the  fight  was  on. 

Hawkins  was  cool  and  deliberate,  while  it  was  plain 
to  observing  eyes  that  Hodge  was  holding  himself  in 
check. 

Both  boys  put  up  a  "guard"  that  was  correct,  and  there 
was  very  little  difference  in  the  positions  they  assumed. 

It  was  plain  that  Hawkins  had  determined  to  lead 
Hodge  on  at  first,  and  so  find  out  what  he  knew  about 
"the  art  of  self-defense."  He  feinted  and  rushed  several 
times,  but  Bart  remained  cool,  and  was  not  deceived. 

The  spectators  began  to  show  impatience. 

"Come,  come,  Hawkins!"  somebody  called;  "are  you 
going  to  fool  with  that  plebe  all  night  ?" 

"Sail  in  lively  and  finish  the  fight,"  advised  another. 
"We  can't  stay  here  long,  you  know." 

It  seemed  that  Hawkins  decided  to  take  this  advice,  for 
he  began  to  force  the  fighting. 

As  Hodge  had  shown  no  skill  in  getting  after  him  when 
he  feinted,  Hawkins  decided  that  he  could  not  be  very 
dangerous,  and  so  he  was  somewhat  careless  in  looking 
after  his  own  face  and  body.  He  crowded  Bart  back, 
and  then,  feinting  with  his  right,  struck  a  smashing  blow 
with  his  left. 

Hodge  dodged  a  bit,  but  he  received  enough  of  the  blow 
to  send  him  staggering. 


212  Frank  Sees  Fair  Play. 

He  came  back  at  Hawkins  like  a  leaping  panther,  his 
dark  eyes  flashing  fire. 

Smack — crack — smack ! 

Three  blows  were  struck  so  swiftly  that  the  watching 
lads  could  scarcely  tell  who  deliverd  them. 

Hawkins  struck  but  one  of  them. 

Hodge  gave  him  the  other  two,  one  on  the  left  breast, 
and  the  other  fairly  between  the  eyes. 

Both  lads  reeled  backward,  but  Hawkins  could  not  re- 
cover till  he  had  fallen  on  one  hand  and  one  knee. 

Hodge  followed  him  up  like  an  enraged  panther,  but 
the  referee  shouted  time  as  Hawkins  struggled  to  his  feet, 
and  the  first  round  was  finished. 

The  excitement  was  now  intense,  for  Hodge  had  shown 
that  he  was  there  to  fight,  and  Hawkins  had  been  more 
than  matched  in  the  first  round. 

Still  the  older  cadet  was  the  favorite,  and  one  confident 
admirer  offered  odds  of  ten  to  one  on  him. 

"I  will  take  that  bet,"  cried  Frank  Merriwell.  "Put 
up  your  dough !" 

That  fellow  was  taken  aback,  but  he  quickly  saw  a  way 
out  of  the  trap,  and  so  he  returned : 

"Up  she  goes — a  whole  dime.  Produce  your  cent, 
plebe,  or  back  down." 

"Oh,  come  off  the  roof!"  returned  Frank,  scornfully 
and  slangily.  "You  give  me  that  tired  feeling !  I  thought 
you  had  blood,  and  really  wanted  to  bet." 

This  might  have  produced  more  trouble,  but,  at  this 
moment,  the  two  fighters  faced  each  other  once  more. 

Hodge  had  not  failed  to  note  that  Merriwell  had  of- 
fered to  bet  on  him,  and,  for  some  reason,  that  made  him 
more  than  ever  determined  to  lick  Hawkins. 

But  Hawkins  had  learned  that  his  opponent  was  not  to 


Frank  Sees  Fair  Play.  213 

be  trifled  with.  He.  resolved  to  go  in  and  end  the  fight 
in  short  order. 

The  next  round  was  a  rattler  from  start  to  finish. 
Hawkins  pressed  Hodge,  following  him  up  doggedly, 
and  Bart  was  hammered  more  or  less,  without  getting  a 
single  effective  blow  in  return. 

"One  more  round  like  that  will  finish  him,  old  man," 
said  Gage  to  Hawkins,  as  they  were  resting  at  the  call  of 
time.  "Teach  the  fellow  a  lesson." 

"Oh,  I  will  do  him  in  short  order  now,"  was  the  con- 
fident assertion. 

Bart  was  given  no  encouragement  by  his  second. 

"You're  no  match  for  that  fellow,"  declared  Bascomb. 
"He  will  hammer  your  head  off." 

Not  a  word  did  Hodge  say  in  reply,  but  he  set  his  teeth 
firmly,  resolved  in  his  heart  never  to  be  licked  till  he  was 
completely  knocked  out. 

Merriwell  had  heard  Bascomb's  words,  and  he  said  to 
Barney : 

"It's  a  shame!  I  believe  in  giving  any  fellow  a  fair 
show,  and  I  will  bet  every  cent  I  can  raise  that  Hodge's 
own  second  is  against  him !  It  is  a  conspiracy  to  get  him 
licked." 

"Well,  Frankie,  b'y,  ye  can't  blame  thim  fer  not  loikin' 
th'  blagguard,  can  yez?" 

"I  believe  in  giving  a  fellow  a  fair  show,  whether  I  like 
him  or  not.  But  that  is  not  it.  Some  of  these  fellows — 
Bascomb,  for  instance — have  professed  to  be  very  friendly 
with  Hodge,  and  now  they  are  betraying  him.  It  is  nasty 
— that's  what!" 

Frank's  face  showed  his  disgust  and  indignation.  He 
did  not  stop  to  consider  the  matter,  or  he  might  have 
known  that  Hodge  had  bought  "friendship"  with  a  free 


214  Frank  Sees  Fair  Play. 

expenditure  of  money,  and  that  kind  of  affection  is  never 
sincere. 

Hawkins  had  decided  to  act  on  his  second's  advice,  and 
he  was  doing  his  best  to  end  the  fight  in  the  third  round. 
For  some  seconds  he  gave  Hodge  far  the  worst  of  it,  but 
Bart  was  watching  his  chance,  and,  when  crowded,  he 
suddenly  caught  Hawkins  round  the  waist  with  his  right 
arm,  passed  his  left  leg  behind  the  fellow,  caught  his  right 
arm  with  a  firm  grip,  and  then 

Up  went  Hawkins'  feet  into  the  air,  and  down  he 
dropped  upon  the  back  of  his  neck. 

Hodge  had  given  him  the  side-fall. 

The  shock  dazed  and  benumbed  the  surprised  cadet. 
The  referee  began  counting  slowly,  while  Hodge  stood 
waiting  for  his  antagonist  to  rise. 

Was  it  possible  Hawkins  had  been  so  stunned  that  he 
would  be  counted  out? 

No!  He  sat  up,  leaped  backward,  and  was  on  his  feet, 
ready  to  meet  Bart  again. 

Thus  ended  the  third  round. 

"For  Heaven's  sake,  don't  let  him  do  that  again !" 
gasped  Leslie  Gage,  in  Hawkins'  ear.  "You  gave  me  an 
awful  fright!  I  thought  he  had  stunned  you  so  you 
would  not  be  able  to  get  up  before  you  were  counted 
out !" 

Hawkins  grinned  in  a  sickly  way. 

"I  was  trying  to  finish  him  then  and  there,  and  I 
thought  I  had  him  too  rattled  to  clinch.  He's  got  sand." 

"I  knew  that  to  start  with.  I  told  you  that  you  would 
have  to  go  at  him  hot,  and  finish  him  in  short  order.  He 
is  not  the  kind  of  a  fellow  to  lie  down  and  be  counted 
out  after  he  had  taken  a  little  punishment." 

Bart  had  been  hammered  rather  severely,  and  his  face 


Frank  Sees  Fair  Play.  215 

was  bruised  and  bleeding,  but  he  did  not  seem  to  mind 
this  in  the  least.  He  sat  quietly  with  the  blanket  wrapped 
about  his  shoulders,  allowing  Bascomb  to  wipe  the  blood 
with  a  moist  towel,  and  the  gleam  in  his  eyes  told  that  he 
had  not  the  least  thought  of  giving  in. 

"It's  no  use,  Hodge,"  said  Bascomb;  "you  are  getting 
much  the  worst  of  it.  He  will  finish  you  next  time." 

Frank  heard  this,  and  it  was  more  than  he  could  stand. 
He  had  no  love  for  Hodge,  but  he  did  have  a  love  of  fair 
play. 

"You  are  a  beautiful  second,  Mr.  Bascomb !"  he  cut  in. 
"You  are  trying  to  discourage  Mr.  Hodge.  That  is  not 
right.  He  has  held  his  own  thus  far,  and  you  know  it; 
Hawkins  came  near  being  counted  out  just  now.  One 
more  fall  like  that  will  fix  him." 

"Bah !"  retorted  Bascomb.  "You  ought  to  feel  proud 
of  yourself!  Not  one  of  Mr.  Hodge's  tent-mates  would 
act  as  his  second." 

That  cut  Frank,  whose  face  reddened. 

Time  was  up,  and  the  two  lads  stepped  into  the  ring 
again. 

Now  came  the  hottest  round  yet  seen.  At  the  very 
start  there  was  a  whirl  at  "infighting,"  but,  seeing  Haw- 
kins was  getting  the  best  of  this,  Hodge  broke  ground 
and  retreated.  Hawkins  followed,  making-  a  rush,  which 
the  other  barely  succeeded  in  avoiding  by  a  duck  and 
dodge.  On  this  Hodge  came  up  under  Hawkins'  arm, 
and  then  he  found  his  best  opportunity.  The  blow  he 
gave  Hawkins  in  the  neck  would  have  knocked  down  an 
ordinary  prize-fighter,  and  the  older  cadet  measured  his 
length  on  the  floor. 

"Veil,  dot  vos  a  corker !"  observed  Hans  Dunnerwust, 


216  Frank  Sees  Fair  Play. 

who  had  kept  still  till  this  moment.  "I  haf  nefer  seen 
der  peat  uv  dot  alretty  yet." 

Still  Hawkins  could  not  be  counted  out.  He  got  upon 
his  feet,  but  he  was  decidedly  "groggy"  to  the  end  of 
the  round. 

Bascomb,  for  the  first  time,  pretended  to  congratulate 
Hodge. 

"By  Jove !  I  believe  you  will  do  him  yet,  old  man !" 
he  said,  as  he  wrapped  the  blanket  about  the  shoulders  of 
the  heavily-breathing  lad.  "You  are  astonishing  every- 
body. Here — have  a  drink  of  water.  It  will  3o  you 
good." 

He  thrust  a  tin  dipper  into  Bart's  hand,  and  Bart  lifted 
it  to  his  lips. 

The  dipper  was  suddenly  dashed  to  the  floor,  and  its 
contents  spilled. 

Frank  Merriwell  did  it. 

"Not  on  your  life,  Bascomb !"  he  said.  "I  don't  know 
what  you  put  in  that  water,  but  I  saw  you  drop  some 
kind  of  a  powder  into  it,  as  did  several  others.  I  have 
proof  on  that  point.  I  am  here  to  see  fair  play,  and  I 
mean  to  see  it." 

Bascomb  snarled  out  some  fierce  words,  and  would 
have  made  a  rush  at  Merriwell,  but  he  was  held  in  check, 
while  several  said : 

"Not  here — now!  Wait  till  after  this  first  matter  is 
settled." 

"Oh,  I'll  hammer  the  face  off  that  fellow!"  grated 
Bascomb. 

Hodge  was  a  little  dazed,  but  he  realized  that  Merri- 
well had  interfered  in  his  behalf,  and  he  declined  to  take 
a  drink  of  water  from  anybody. 

"I  can  go  another  round  without  it,"  he  said. 


Frank  Sees  Fair  Play.  217 

When  the  two  lads  came  again  to  the  scratch,  it  was 
seen  that  Hawkins  had  lost  much  of  his  serene  confi- 
dence, while  Hodge  was  as  determined  as  ever.  And 
now  Bart  pressed  the  fighting,  doing  it  in  a  way  that 
gave  the  other  lad  all  he  could  attend  to — and  a  little 
more. 

The  excitement  among  the  spectators  was  at  fever 
pitch.  They  watched  every  movement  of  the  battling 
lads  with  breathless  interest,  for  a  better  fight  had  not 
been  witnessed  in  the  old  boathouse  for  many  moons. 

Hodge  was  like  a  raging  panther.  He  darted  at  Haw- 
kins from  every  side,  and  his  blows  began  to  tell,  while 
he  received  none  in  return.  The  cadets  rose  up  on  their 
toes,  for  they  saw  the  end  approaching,  and  a  most  un- 
expected end,  at  that. 

Bart  smashed  Hawkins  on  the  nose,  then  he  thumped 
him  in  the  eye,  gave  him  a  terrible  punch  in  the  wind, 
and  ended  with  an  upper-cut  that  lifted  the  fellow  off  his 
feet  and  stretched  him  on  his  back. 

And  there  Hawkins  lay,  while  he  was  counted  out. 
amid  the  greatest  excitement  ever  known  in  the  old 
boathouse. 

Hodge  had  won  the  fight. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

THE  MEDAI,  FOUND — ARRESTED. 

When  it  was  all  over,  his  blood  leaping  from  the  re- 
sult of  the  affair,  Frank  Merriwell  looked  about  for  Bas- 
comb. 

The  fellow  had  disappeared. 

"He's  gone,  Frankie,  b'y,"  chuckled  Barney.  "It's  mt 
proivate  opinion  thot  he  is  a  big  shtuff.  He  didn't  dare 
shtop  an'  mate  yez." 

"I  didn't  care  to  get  into  a  fight  with  him,"  confessed 
Frank;  "but  I  was  determined  to  see  fair  play,  and  it 
looked  suspicious  when  he  dropped  the  powder  into  that 
water." 

Now  that  the  fight  was  over,  there  was  hustling  to  get 
out  of  the  boathouse  and  back  to  the  camp. 

Having  won,  Hodge  was  surrounded  by  plenty  of  fel- 
lows who  were  eager  to  congratulate  him,  for  all  that 
they  had  expected  and  hoped  that  Hawkins  would  be  the 
victor. 

Frank  would  have  remained  and  seen  that  Bart  was 
properly  rubbed  down,  but  there  were  now  enough  to  do 
that,  and  so,  after  a  little  hesitation,  he  departed,  Barney 
and  Hans  accompanying  him. 

Hawkins  was  bitter  when  he  recovered  sufficiently  tc 
realize  what  had  happened.  He  swore  over  and  over  that 
he  would  get  square  with  Hodge. 

Bart  had  little  to  say.  For  once  in  his  life,  he  was  not 
toastful,  and  he  was  rather  cold  toward  those  who  had 


The  Medal  Found — Arrested.        219 

scorned  him  a  short  time  before,  but  flocked  around  him 
now. 

"A  lot  of  sycophants,"  he  thought,  contemptuously. 
"I  would  give  more  for  one  fellow  like  Merriwell  to 
stand  by  me  than  for  this  whole  crowd  that  shifts  every 
time  the  wind  changes." 

That  night,  a  little  while  before  taps,  having  got  back 
safely  to  the  tent,  Hodge  suddenly  turned  on  Frank,  say- 
ing: 

"I  want  to  thank  you,  Merriwell.  One  or  two  fellows 
have  told  me  they  saw  Bascomb  put  the  powder  in  that 
water.  If  I  had  taken  it,  I  should  have  been  knocked 
out." 

"That's  all  right,  Hodge,"  assured  Frank,  carelessly. 
"I  simply  did  what  I  woufd  want  any  fellow  to  do  for 
me  under  the  same  circumstance.  But  I  thought  Bas- 
comb was  a  particular  friend  of  yours?" 

"I  thought  so,  too;  but  hereafter  I  don't  take  much 
stock  in  that  kind  of  friends.  K suppose  he  has  turned 
against  me  since  I  refused  to  take  a  hand  in — er — er — a 
certain  piece  of  business." 

Hodge's  face  flushed.  It  was  well  patched  up  with 
strips  of  court-plaster. 

He  did  not  say  just  what  the  piece  of  business  re- 
ferred to  was,  and  he  was  not  questioned. 

For  the  first  time  since  entering  the  school,  there 
seemed  something  like  a  friendly  feeling  between  Merri- 
well and  Hodge ;  but  neither  offered  the  other  a  hand. 

Hodge  awoke  the  next  day  to  find  himself  famous,  for 
he  had  done  something  no  fellow  of  the  academy  had 
ever  accomplished  before — he  had  licked  Hawkins. 

It  would  have  been  natural  for  Hodge  to  swell  with 
pride  and  put  on  an  air  of  great  importance.  In  fact,  it 


220        The  Medal  Found — Arrested. 

was  difficult  for  him  to  suppress  a  desire  to  do  so ;  but  he 
thought : 

"If  Merriwell  had  knocked  Hawkins  out,  he  would 
have  kept  still  and  made  no  show  over  it.  Merriwell  is 
a  pretty  good  fellow  to  model  after,  and  I  am  going  to 
try  it." 

So  those  who  had  formed  the  opinion  that  Hodge  was 
a  vain  and  conceited  coxcomb  were  astonished  to  note 
that  he  neither  boasted,  strutted,  nor  acted  as  if  he  was 
proud  of  what  he  had  done. 

Perhaps  Frank  Merriwell  was  as  surprised  as  any  one. 

"Hodge  must  be  ill,"  he  said  to  Barney.  "He  isn't 
putting  on  any  airs." 

"Ill !"  echoed  the  Irish  lad.  "Begobs !  he  must  be  sick 
enough  to  doie !" 

Of  course  both  Hodge  and  Hawkins  were  obliged  to 
"fake"  some  very  pretty  stories  to  explain  the  condition 
of  their  faces ;  and  equally,  of  course,  their  stories  were 
not  believed,  although  they  were  not  questioned  too 
closely. 

"Affairs  of  honor"  could  not  be  stopped  at  the  acad- 
emy, and  it  was  thought  best  to  be  blind  to  them  as  far 
as  possible. 

Hawkins  was  sullen  and  bitter.  A  few  times  he  re- 
peated his  threat  to  get  square  with  Hodge,  but,  for  the 
most  part,  he  kept  still. 

Just  before  dinner,  as  Frank  was  washing,  Lieutenant 
Gordan  suddenly  appeared  at  the  tent  opening,  with  an 
orderly  sergeant  and  squad  at  his  back. 

"Mr.  Hodge,"  said  the  lieutenant,  in  a  tone  that  made 
Bart  pale  and  shrink  apprehensively,  "I  have  been  in- 
formed that  you  have  in  your  possession  an  article  be- 
longing to  Mr.  Merriwell." 


The  Medal  Found — Arrested.        221 

"What  is  that?"  asked  Hodge,  huskily. 

"It  is  the  medal  of  honor  granted  him  by  the  Congress 
of  the  United  States." 

Bart  suddenly  stiffened  up. 

"Then  you  have  been  misinformed,  sir,"  he  said, 
stoutly.  "I  have  no  such  article  in  my  possession." 

"In  that  case,  you  must  have  disposed  of  it  in  a  very 
brief  space  of  time,  for  you  were  known  to  have  it  last 
night — if  I  have  not  been  deceived." 

"You  have  been  deceived,  sir,"  asserted  Bart,  holding 
himself  in  check  with  the  greatest  difficulty.  "Some  one 
has  been  lying  to  you." 

"It  is  possible;  but  I  presume  you  will  not  object  to 
being  searched  in  the  presence  of  Mr.  Merriwell  ?" 

Bart's  teeth  clicked,  and  there  was  a  choking  sound  in 
his  throat.  To  be  searched !  That  was  more  than  he  ex- 
pected under  any  circumstances.  He  was  tempted  to 
refuse,  and  then,  unable  to  repress  his  feelings,  he  burst 
out: 

"You  may  search  me,  but  somebody  shall  pay  dearly 
for  this !" 

Lieutenant  Gordan  stepped  forward  without  another 
word,  and  began  the  search. 

In  a  very  few  moments  he  produced  something  which 
he  held  up  for  all  to  see. 

It  was  the  missing  medal ! 

Hodge  gave  a  cry  of  astonishment  and  horror,  his  face 
growing  deathly  pale.  If  his  surprise  was  not  genuine, 
then  he  was  in  truth  a  very  good  actor. 

"There  is  some  mistake !"  he  cried.    "I — I " 

"Silence,  sir,"  came  coldly  and  sternly  from  the  lieu- 
tenant's lips.  "You  will  be  given  a  cbanre  to  explain 
before  the  court-martial." 


222        The  Medal  Found — Arrested. 

Pale,  trembling,  crushed,  Bart  relapsed  into  silence,  a 
light  of  despair  in  his  dark  eyes. 

"Mr.  Merriwell,"  said  Lieutenant  Gordan,  "take  your 
medal,  sir,  and  guard  it  well." 

Frank  stepped  forward  and  accepted  the  precious 
token ;  but  his  hand  shook,  and  his  face  was  fully  as  pale 
as  Bart's.  Not  a  word  could  he  say,  although  he  tried  to 
speak. 

Hodge  looked  at  Merriwell  appealingly,  but  Frank  did 
not  meet  the  look.  He  turned  away,  and  something  like 
a  smothered  groan  came  from  Bart's  blue  lips. 

"Mr.  Hodge,  you  are  hereby  placed  under  close  arrest- 
and  you  will  be  conveyed  at  once  to  the  guard-tent. 
March !" 

Out  of  the  tent  Bart  mechanically  stepped,  the  orderly 
and  the  members  of  the  squad  closed  around  him,  and 
away  he  was  marched  to  the  guard-tent,  where  he  was 
to  be  held  a  prisoner  in  disgrace. 

In  less  than  fifteen  minutes  the  entire  encampment 
knew  Merriwell's  medal  had  been  restored  to  him,  while 
Bartley  Hodge  had  been  arrested,  and  was  in  the  guard- 
tent,  awaiting  court-martial  and  dismissal — or,  in  other 
words,  expulsion  from  Fardale  Academy. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 
CRY  OF  FIRE. 

"Fire !  fire !  fire !" 

That  cry  ran  through  the  camp  the  night  following  the 
arrest  of  Bartley  Hodge. 

"Where  is  the  fire?" 

"It's  the  academy !    Fire !  fire !" 

"The  academy  is  afire !" 

That  was  enough  to  send  the  cadets  leaping  into  their 
clothes  in  short  order,  and  away  they  raced  across  the 
parade  ground. 

There  was  a  reddish  glow  in  two  of  the  upper  windows 
of  the  academy. 

"It's  in  Professor  Gunn's  laboratory!"  shouted  more 
than  one. 

The  professor  was  found  on  the  steps  of  the  building, 
wringing  his  hands  and  groaning. 

"The  building  is  lost !"  he  sobbed.  "It  will  bum  to  the 
ground !" 

"Not  if  there  is  a  possibility  of  saving  it!"  shouted 
Frank  Merriwell,  who  was  among  the  first  to  arrive. 
"Where  are  the  fire  grenades  ?" 

"I  know!"  cried  Cadet  Hawkins.  "This  way!  Fol- 
low me !" 

The  lads  plunged  into  the  building,  leaving  Professor 
Gunn  moaning: 

"It's  no  use !  The  smoke  is  so  thick  up  there  that  thev 
can't  get  near  the  fire." 

"How  did  it  start  ?"  he  was  asked. 


224  Cry  of  Fire. 

"I  was  experimenting  with  some  chemicals,  and  there 
was  an  explosion." 

In  the  bustle  that  followed,  Professor  Gunn  was  thrust 
aside  and  lost  sight  of  completely.  Once  in  a  while,  his 
voice  was  heard  moaning  or  directing  the  boys  to  save 
something. 

The  water  of  the  academy  was  supplied  from  a  pond 
some  distance  away,  and  the  pressure  was  enough  to 
make  a  good  head.  There  was  plenty  of  hose,  and  places 
to  attach  them  on  every  floor.  More  than  this,  the  acad- 
emy had  a  regularly  organized  fire  brigade,  and  the  work 
of  fighting  the  flames  was  begun  in  earnest. 

The  boys  had  no  idea  of  letting  Fardale  Academy  burn 
if  the  fire  could  be  checked  and  extinguished. 

As  has  been  said,  Merriwell  and  Hawkins  were  among 
the  first  to  go  bounding  up  the  stairs. 

On  the  floor  where  the  fire  was  the  smoke  was  almost 
thick  enough  to  be  cut  into  squares  with  a  knife ! 

Hawkins  did  not  hesitate  to  rush  into  the  heart  of  this 
smoke. 

"This  way!"  he  called  to  Frank.  "This  way  for  the 
grenades !" 

Frank  followed  him. 

They  reached  the  rack  where  the  grenades  were  kept, 
and,  securing  all  they  could  carry,  then  ran  down  the 
corridor  toward  the  room  where  the  flames  could  be 
heard  crackling  in  a  manner  that  indicated  the  fire  had 
obtained  quite  a  start. 

The  door  of  Professor  Gunn's  laboratory  was  thrust 
open  by  Hawkins. 

To  Frank's  horror  a  sheet  of  flame  burst  forth  and 
seemed  to  completely  enwrap  the  lad,  who  reeled  back 
without  a  cry,  and  dropped  to  the  ground. 


Cry  of  Fire.  225 

Frank  ran  forward  and  hurled  his  grenades  into  the 
room.  Then  he  caught  up  those  Hawkins  had  dropped, 
and  threw  them  also. 

By  this  time  he  was  nearly  overcome  with  smoke,  but 
he  could  not  retreat  and  leave  Hawkins  there. 

"I  must  save  him !"  thought  Frank. 

Hawkins'  clothes  were  on  fire  in  one  or  two  places,  anS 
these  spots  Frank  beat  out  with  his  hands,  while  his  own 
face  was  almost  blistered  by  the  heat  that  beat  upon  him 
from  the  open  door  of  the  burning  room. 

With  a  last  fierce  effort,  he  lifted  Hawkins  and  stag- 
gered along  the  corridor,  reached  the  stairs,  and  plunged 
downward,  passing  some  of  the  fire  brigade,  who  were 
coming  up  with  hose. 

Frank  did  not  stop  nor  put  Hawkins  down  till  the  open 
air  was  reached,  and  here  he  dropped  in  a  heap,  with  the 
unconscious  lad  across  his  body. 


The  academy  did  not  burn.  The  grenades  thrown  by 
Frank  Merriwell  checked  the  flames  till  several  streams 
of  water  were  turned  into  the  room,  and,  for  all  of  the 
smoke,  the  fire-fighters  took  turns  at  the  hose  till  the  last 
spark  of  fire  was  out. 

But  Hawkins  had  been  severely  burned,  and  Dr. 
Brown  looked  grave,  as  the  boy  lay  moaning  with  pain  on 
a  bed,  his  face  and  hands  covered  with  bandages. 

"It  is  my  punishment !"  sobbed  Hawkins.  "I  am  sur" 
of  it!  I  think  I  am  going  to  die!  I  must  see  Bartley 
Hodge.  Bring  him  here." 

So  Hodge  was  brought  under  guard,  still  a  prisoner 
who  had  been  arrested  for  a  most  reprehensible  offense. 

"I  am  going  to  die,  Hodge,"  said  the  boy  on  the  beds 


226  Cry  of  Fire. 

"and  I  want  to  make  a  confession  before  I  go.  I  want 
Lieutenant  Gordan  and  Professor  Gunn  to  hear  me." 

The  lieutenant  and  the  professor  were  present,  as  was 
also  Frank  Merriwell,  whose  face  had  been  scorched,  and 
who  needed  Dr.  Brown's  attention. 

"Hodge  did  not  steal  Merri well's  medal,"  declared 
Hawkins.  "I  stole  it  myself!" 

"You?"  cried  Lieutenant  Gordan.  "What  made  you 
do  such  a  thing?" 

"Because  I  took  a  dislike  to  Merriwell.  I  tried  to  get 
Hodge  to  go  into  the  scheme,  but  he  said  he  had  used 
Merriwell  mean  enough,  and  he  refused  to  have  anything 
to  do  with  it.  I  hated  him  after  that." 

"But  you  were  not  alone?  Who  aided  you?"  ques- 
tioned the  lieutenant. 

"I  can't  tell  that.  I  don't  want  to  injure  anybody ;  but 
I  want  to  do  the  square  thing  now.  I  was  the  one  who 
took  the  medal  from  Merri  well's  breast,  and  I  had  it 
placed  on  Hodge's  person.  There  is  no  need  to  explain 
how  this  was  done,  for,  as  I  just  said,  I  do  not  wish  to 
harm  any  one  else.  I  insulted  Hodge,  and  he  got  the 
best  of  me  in  a  fair  fight.  Then  I  swore  to  get  even.  So 
I  had  the  medal  worked  onto  him,  and  then  I  reported 
that  I  had  seen  it  in  his  possession.  Oh,  it  was  a  mean 
trick,  but  I  am  getting  my  pay  for  it  now !" 

"This  is  most  surprising!"  exclaimed  Professor  Gunn. 
"Then  Mr.  Hodge  must  be  entirely  innocent?" 

"He  is." 

"Well !  well !  well !"  gasped  the  professor ;  and  that 
was  all  he  could  say. 

Perhaps  Bartley  Hodge  was  as  much  relieved  as  any 
one.  He  had  been  crushed  and  overwhelmed  bv  his  mis- 


Cry  of  Fire.  227 

fortune,  but  a  new  light  came  to  his  face,  and  he  now 
met  the  eyes  of  those  around  him. 

Frank  Merriwell  stepped  forward,  and  his  voice  was 
not  exactly  steady,  as  he  said : 

"Mr.  Hodge,  I  congratulate  you.  Mr.  Hawkins  has 
acted  like  a  man,  and  you  are  out  of  a  very  bad  scrape." 

"I  know  I  have  not  always  treated  you  just  right,  Mer- 
riwell," confessed  Hodge.  "But  I  hope  you  heard  him 
say  that  I  refused  to  take  any  hand  in  the  stealing  of 
your  medal  ?" 

"I  did." 

"I  can't  help  it  if  I  am  not  perfect,"  said  Hodge;  "and 
I  have  resolved  to  do  my  best  to  overcome  my  faults. 
You  have  used  me  better  than  the  fellows  who  pretended 
to  be  my  friends,  Merriwell,  and  now  I  want  to  ask  if  you 
will  shake  hands  and  call  the  past  buried?" 

"Of  course  I  will !" 

And  they  shook  hands. 
******** 

Hawkins  was  not  burned  as  seriously  as  was  at  first 
supposed,  and  he  was  soon  out  of  danger. 

But  there  could  be  nothing  further  for  him  at  Fardale 
Academy,  and  so  he  was  allowed  to  resign  and  go  home. 

Hodge  and  Merriwell  were  the  only  ones  who  accom- 
panied him  to  the  station  and  bade  him  good-by.  He 
shook  hands  with  them,  and  his  last  words  were : 

"Stick  by  Merriwell,  Hodge ;  he*s  all  right.  I'm  going 
to  try  school  somewhere  else,  if  the  governor  will  let  me, 
and  I  mean  to  be  white  from  this  on." 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

CHALLENGED. 

It  was  midsummer  at  Fardale  Military  Academy,  and 
the  "plebes"  who  had  entered  the  school  some  weeks  be- 
fore were  now  so  well  broken  to  ordinary  drillwork 
that  they  made  a  very  commendable  showing. 

The  yearlings  had  grown  somewhat  weary  of  hazing, 
although  it  had  not  ceased  by  any  means,  and  each  older 
cadet  had  his  particular  "fag"  to  attend  to  the 
"drudgery." 

By  this  time  life  in  camp  had  grown  to  be  an  old  story, 
and  the  boys  were  casting  about  for  something  to  vary 
the  monotony. 

A  group  of  cadets  who  had  gathered  on  one  of  the 
camp's  streets  were  holding  an  earnest  discussion  about 
various  sports. 

"In  two  weeks  comes  the  annual  ball  game  with 
Eaton,"  said  Walter  Burrage.  "I  wonder  how  our  team 
will  be  made  up  this  year  ?" 

"Gage  will  be  captain,  I  think,"  said  Cadet  Lieutenant 
Swift.  "You  know  we  lost  our  old  captain  at  last  gradu- 
ation. He  was  a  good  man,  but  the  team  was  weak  in 
the  box  last  year,  and  Eaton  beat  us  thirteen  to  nine." 

"What  makes  you  think  Gage  will  be  captain  ?"  asked 
Harvey  Dare. 

"Because  he  is  a  brilliant  player,  and  he  was  captain 
of  one  of  the  strongest  amateur  teams  in  the  State  before 
he  came  here  to  school." 

"But  he  is  not  particularly  popular." 


Challenged.  229 

"It  is  not  popularity,  but  playing,  that  counts  in  a  game 
of  baseball." 

"I  say,"  cut  in  another  cadet,  "it  doesn't  seem  to  me 
that  the  boys  are  practicing  as  much  as  they  ought. 
Why,  they  should  have  had  the  team  made  up  long  ago. 
It  is  team  work  that  counts  in  a  game  of  ball." 

"That's  right,"  nodded  Swift.  "That  matter  should 
be  settled  at  once." 

"We  should  have  several  practice  games  with  the 
plebes." 

"Yes,  for  there  may  be  some  material  among  them  that 
we  can  use." 

"Have  you  noticed  Hodge's  playing?" 

"Not  particularly ;  but  Merriwell  acts  like  a  ball  player, 
and  I  believe  there  is  good  timber  in  him.  He  might 
show  up  well  another  year." 

"It  is  not  another  year  we  care  for.  What  we  are 
bothering  about  just  at  present  is  this  year.  We've  got  to 
have  a  good  team  to  meet  Eaton." 

"What  position  does  Gage  play?" 

"He  pitches." 

"Whom  have  we  to  hold  him  ?" 

"Hawkins." 

"Why,  Hawkins  is  gone,  as  you  very  well  know.  It 
strikes  me  that  our  team  is  badly  crippled  this  year." 

Lieutenant  Swift  looked  rather  annoyed.  He  had  not 
thought  up  to  this  moment  that  when  Phil  Hawkins  left 
the  academy  the  ball  team  had  lost  its  best  catcher. 

"Harris  will  have  to  go  behind  the  bat,"  he  said. 

Burrage  smiled. 

"You  know  Harris  is  a  bum  thrower,"  he  said.  "He  is 
all  right  as  a  back-stop,  but  any  one  can  steal  bases  on 
him.  Why,  with  Harris  under  the  bat,  if  those  Eaton 


230  Challenged. 

fellows  ever  got  first,  they  would  not  hesitate  to  go  down 
to  second  on  the  first  ball  pitched.  No,  no,  Swift,  Harris 
will  not  do,  if  we  have  any  ambition  to  win  this  year. 
The  Eatons  are  dandy  base-runners,  and  we  must  have  a 
corking  good  thrower." 

Swift  knew  this  was  true,  and  he  bit  his  lips  in  per- 
plexity. 

"I  do  not  know  of  a  good  man  to  fill  his  place,"  he 
finally  admitted. 

"What  are  we  going  to  do  about  it?" 

"To-morrow  is  Saturday.  We  must  have  a  game  with 
the  plebes.  After  that,  we'll  have  to  settle  on  a  team." 

"That's  right.  Where  is  Gage.  He  must  send  a  chal- 
lenge." 

"Here  comes  Gage." 

The  cadet  who  approached  the  group  carried  himself 
with  a  superior  air,  as  if  he  were  fully  convinced  of  his 
own  importance. 

"What's  up  now,  gentlemen?"  he  asked,  with  dignity. 

"We  were  discussing  baseball  and  the  prospect  of 
holding  the  Eatons'  good  play  this  year,"  replied  Bur- 
rage. 

"Beat  them!"  smiled  Gage,  scornfully.  "Why,  if  our 
team  is  made  up  right,  we  will  beat  them  to  death !" 

"If  our  team  is  made  up  right,"  echoed  Swift.  "But 
there's  the  rub.  It  is  not  made  up  at  all,  and  the  time 
for  the  game  with  Eaton  is  close  at  hand.  What  are  we 
going  to  do?" 

"Get  a  move  on  us." 

"That's  right.  The  most  of  the  old  team  is  in  it,  but 
we  need  some  new  blood.  There  may  be  some  good  men 
among  the  plebes.  For  instance,  Hodge  is " 


Challenged.  231 

"What  ?"  cried  Gage,  in  amazement.  "You  don't  mean 
to  say  you  would  give  that  cad  a  show  on  the  team  ?" 

"It  is  playing  that  counts,  as  Dare  just  observed.  We 
want  to  heat  Eaton,  and,  in  order  to  have  any  show,  we 
will  have  to  select  our  'best  players,  whether  they  are 
cads  or  not.  Another  man  who  shows  up  well  among 
the  plebes  is  Merriwell." 

"If  those  fellows  go  on  the  team,  you  may  count  me 
out,"  said  Gage  loftily.  "I  do  not  run  with  that  kind  of 
a  crowd." 

"Why,  what  is  the  matter  with  Merriwell?  He  is 
pretty  popular  with  the  fellows,  and " 

"He  may  be  popular  with  some;  but  there  is  a  time 
coming  when  he  will  not  be  so  popular.  Mark  my 
words." 

"Oh,  you  have  taken  a  dislike  to  him.  You  will  get 
over  that  pretty  soon,  the  same  as  Hodge  did.  Remem- 
ber how  Hodge  hated  him  ?  Now  he  thinks  there  is  not 
another  fellow  in  the  world  who  is  quite  Merriwell's 
equal." 

"Well,  I  am  no  sycophant,  and  I  do  not  care  to  be 
compared  with  Hodge.  That  fellow  makes  me  sick !  I'd 
think  a  good  deal  more  of  Merriwell  if  he  had  run  Hodge 
out  of  the  school.  I've  got  no  use  for  softies." 

"If  you  run  up  against  Merriwell,  you  are  liable  to  find 
he  is  no  softie.  He  is  a  fighter,  and  he  has  sand,  else 
Congress  never  would  have  presented  him  with  a  medal 
of  honor  for  bravery  in  twice  saving  Miss  Burrage  from 
death." 

"Oh,  that  medal  business  gives  me  a  pain !  I  don't  see 
that  Merriwell  did  anything  great.  He  is  stuck  on 
Inza  Burrage,  and  she  is  stuck  on  him,  so  " 

"So  I  advise  you  to  be  careful  what  you  say  about 


232  Challenged. 

cither  of  them  in  my  presence,  sir,"  said  Walter  Bur- 
rage,  sharply.  "You  may  have  forgotten  that  she  is  my 
sister.  As  far  as  Merriwell  is  concerned,  I  am  ready  to 
stand  up  for  him  anywhere  and  any  time.  He  is  white 
and  square,  which  is  more  than  can  be  said  for  some 
fellows  in  this  academy  who  stole  his  medal  from  him." 

"I  hope  you  don't  mean  anything,"  sneered  Gage,  with 
a  sidelong  look  at  Burrage. 

"I'm  not  calling  any  names,  but  any  one  who  finds  the 
coat  fits  is  welcome  to  wear  it.  Phil  Hawkins  was  more 
of  a  man  than  some  fellows  who  are  still  in  the  academy, 
for  he  came  out  and  made  a  clean  breast  of  it  before  he 
left." 

"Oh,  he  was  soft !  Because  he  was  burned  a  bit  in  tHe 
academy  fire,  he  thought  he  was  going  to  die,  and  so  he 
confessed  that  he  had  taken  a  hand  in  swiping  Merri- 
well's  medal.  It's  a  wonder  he  didn't  blow  on  the  fel- 
lows who  were  in  with  him." 

"Oh,  well,  drop  this !"  broke  in  Harvey  Dare.  "This  is 
not  settling  the  baseball  problem.  Are  you  a  pitcher, 
Gage?" 

"Well,  I  was  one  of  the  pitchers  on  my  team  before  I 
came  here  to  school.  We  whipped  everything  that  called 
itself  amateur,  and  we  gave  one  or  two  professional 
teams  a  tight  go.  I  rather  think  I  am  pitcher  enough  for 
any  batters  the  Eatons  may  have." 

"Well,  you  ought  to  have  a  good  man  to  hold  you,  anil 
Hodge  is  the  best  we  know." 

"I  will  not  pitch  to  him." 

"Then  we  will  have  to  find  somebody  else.  We  must 
have  a  practice  game  with  the  plebes  to-morrow." 

"Sure." 

"They  should  be  challenged  at  once." 


Challenged.  233 

"Now  is  the  time  to  do  it,"  said  Walter  Burrage. 
"Here  comes  Merriwell  and  Hodge." 

"Hodge  tags  him  about  like  a  puppy,"  sneered  Gage. 
"I  should  think  Merriwell  would  get  sick  of  it." 

Instantly  the  two  lads  found  themselves  surrounded, 
while  the  cadet  lieutenant  soberly  said : 

"We  were  waiting  for  you.  You  are  both  challenged 
to  meet  members  of  the  advanced  classes  on  the  field  of 
honor.  Do  you  accept  the  challenge  ?  or  do  you  show  the 
white  feather?" 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

BEFORE     THE     GAME. 

Hodge  looked  serious,  but  Merriwell  laughed. 

"We  are  neither  of  us  in  the  habit  of  showing  the 
white  feather,"  he  said;  "so  I  suppose  we'll  have  to  ac- 
cept the  challenge." 

"Remember,  this  is  to  be  a  battle  to  the  bitter  end," 
warned  Swift.  "Don't  be  rash." 

"To  the  bitter  end  let  it  be,"  smiled  Frank.  "Whom 
are  we  to  meet?" 

"I  am  one  of  the  principals,  and  Mr.  Gage  is  another." 

"Really?  You  say  Mr.  Gage  is  'another.'  Are  there 
still  others  ?" 

"There  are,  sir." 

"How  many?" 

"Seven." 

"Seven  and  two  are  nine,"  said  Frank,  with  quick  in- 
tuition. "I  presume  we  will  be  permitted  to  select  seven 
friends?" 

"Oh,  I  suppose  we  shall  have  to  allow  you  that  privi- 
lege." 

"And,  being  the  challenged  party,  we  will  name  the 
weapons — bats  and  balls." 

"It's  not  easy  to  get  ahead  of  you,  Merriwell ;  you 
have  tumbled  to  the  game." 

Bart  looked  relieved. 

"I  didn't  know  but  we  had  another  fight  on  hand,"  he 
admitted. 

"Oh,  we  are  not  anxious  to  fight  with  plebes  when  we 


Before  the  Game.  235 

can  avoid  it,"  said  Leslie  Gage,  in  a  way  that  was  dis- 
tinctly offensive. 

"I  shouldn't  think  you  would  be  since  the  last  time  one 
of  you  fellows  went  up  against  a  plebe,"  said  Frank,  in 
a  good-natured  way. 

He  looked  at  Bart  and  smiled,  but  it  was  evident  that 
Gage  did  not  take  kindly  to  this  observation  of  Merri- 
well's. 

"You  fellows  don't  want  to  get  swelled  heads  because 
Hodge  went  up  against  something  easy  and  came  out 
best  by  an  accident,"  he  snapped.  "There  are  others." 

"If  I  remember  rightly,  it  was  said  at  the  time  that 
Hawkins  was  a  great  fighter — that  he  had  licked  every- 
body he  had  tackled.  But  we  are  not  speaking  of  fight- 
ing now,  but  of  sport,  so  let's  hold  our  tempers.  When 
is  this  engagement  to  come  off?" 

"How  will  to-morrow  afternoon  do?"  asked  Swilt. 

"That  suits  me.  I  will  get  together  some  kind  of  a 
team,  and  try  to  make  it  interesting  for  you." 

"Oh,  we  don't  expect  the  game  will  amount  to  much,'* 
said  Leslie  Gage,  loftily ;  "but  we  thought  we  might  get 
some  practice  out  of  it.  Of  course,  you  plebes  won't  be 
in  it  with  us." 

"Oh,  of  course  not,"  smiled  Frank.  "We  don't  ex- 
pect to,  but  we  will  do  our  best,  all  the  same." 

"And  we  may  give  you  something  of  a  surprise  party," 
put  in  Bart. 

Leslie  laughed  scornfully,  not  deigning  to  say  anything 
further.  That  laugh  was  enough  to  bring  a  hot  flush  to 
Bart's  cheeks,  and  he  glared  at  Gage  as  if  longing  to 
strike  him  then  and  there;  but  Frank  Merriwell's  hand 
dropped  on  his  arm,  and  he  quickly  relapsed  before  this 
silent  warning  of  his  friend. 


236  Before  the  Game. 

"Then  it  is  settled,  I  presume?"  said  Swift.  "We  will 
meet  on  the  field  of  honor  to-morrow  afternoon  at  two 
o'clock." 

"That  is  satisfactory,"  assured  Frank.  "You  will  find 
nine  of  us  ready  for  you  at  that  hour." 

After  a  few  words  more,  Merriwell  and  Hodge  re- 
sumed their  walk. 

"Thank  you  for  warning  me  against  getting  into  a 
passion  with  Gage,  old  man,"  said  Hodge,  as  soon  as 
they  were  beyond  earshot  from  the  group.  "I  am  alto- 
gether too  quick,  I  know ;  and  you  are  doing  me  a  great 
favor  when  you  hold  me  in  check.  I  am  trying  to  learn 
to  govern  my  temper." 

"That's  all  right,  Bart,"  said  Frank,  in  his  friendly 
way — a  way  that  unconsciously  drew  others  to  him. 
"There's  no  use  in  getting  into  a  row  needlessly.  I  be- 
lieve in  fighting  when  a  fellow  has  to,  but  not  in  fighting 
every  chance  one  can.  Gage  is  aggravating,  but  it  is  his 
way." 

From  that  time  till  noon  the  following  day  Frank  was 
busy  making  up  his  ball  team.  Hodge  was  to  catch,  and 
Frank  would  pitch.  Barney  Mulloy,  who  was  a  heavy 
batter  and  a  sure  catch  of  all  manner  of  thrown  balls, 
was  selected  to  cover  first  base.  Sam  Winslow  was 
placed  on  second,  and  the  big,  ham-fisted  fellow  called 
Hugh  Bascomb  was  given  the  third  bag.  A  lively  little 
fellow,  Sammy  Smiles,  occupied  the  territory  at  short, 
and  the  outfield  was  made  up  of  some  fairly  good  men. 
Taken  all  together,  Frank  believed  he  had  made  up  a 
fairly  strong  team,  and,  more  than  ever,  was  he  confident 
of  giving  the  regular  nine  a  "sharp  go." 

One  thing  Frank  regretted,  and  that  was  that  he  could 
not  find  an  opening  for  Hans  Dunnerwust,  Hans  pro 


Before  the  Game.  237 

tested  that  he  could  play  baseball  in  a  way  to  surprise 
those  who  knew  him,  and,  although  he  was  fat  and 
rather  clumsy,  Frank  would  have  given  him  a  show  had 
it  been  possible. 

Every  Saturday  afternoon  crowds  came  from  Fardale 
village  and  neighboring  places  to  witness  the  cadets  at 
their  sports. 

Somehow  it  became  quite  generally  known  that  there 
was  to  be  a  ball  game  on  this  particular  Saturday  after- 
noon, and  an  unusually  large  number  of  spectators  as- 
sembled. 

The  regular  ball  team  had  a  handsome  gray  uniform, 
with  "Fardale"  lettered  on  the  breasts  of  the  shirts. 

The  plebes  appeared  in  blue  flannel  shirts  and  uniform 
trousers,  making  a  good  appearance. 

Merriwell  was  very  popular  with  the  visitors  at  the 
academy,  and  he  was  greeted  by  a  round  of  applause 
when  he  appeared  on  the  field  at  the  head"  of  his  team. 

It  was  this  very  popularity  with  the  public  that  made 
many  of  the  older  cadets  jealous  of  him,  and  thus  gave 
him  enemies  in  the  school. 

Hodge  had  been  one  of  the  jealous  ones  in  former 
days,  but,  from  being  an  enemy,  he  had  turned  com- 
pletely around  and  was  now  Frank's  admiring  and  un- 
wavering friend. 

"Hear  them  cheering  that  stiff !"  sneered  Leslie  Gage. 
"Oh,  it  makes  me  very,  very  weary!  I  will  take  par- 
ticular pains  to  show  him  up  this  day,  see  if  I  don't.  He 
won't  get  a  hit  off  me,  and  I  mean  to  hammer  him  all 
over  the  field." 

Gage  was  a  good  batter,  and  it  was  believed  he  would 
find  Merriwell  "a  mark." 

The  regular  team  had  been  practicing  some  time  when 


238  Before  the  Game. 

the  plebes  appeared,  and  so  they  gave  up  the  field  for  the 
latter  to  have  their  turn. 

Merriwell  took  the  stick  and  batted  round,  while  Hodge 
caught  and  did  some  throwing. 

Merriwell  gave  the  word  for  every  move  and  every 
throw,  and,  to  the  surprise  of  the  older  cadets,  he  was 
obeyed  with  a  promptness  and  precision  that  told  how 
utterly  his  men  relied  on  him  and  were  confident  that  he 
was  the  proper  captain. 

Hodge's  throwing  was  easy  and  precise.  The  way  he 
tossed  the  ball  down  to  second  gave  the  regulars  an  idea 
that  they  might  not  find  it  easy  to  purloin  bags  that  day. 

Gage  grew  uneasy  as  he  watched. 

"We're  not  going  to  have  any  picnic  with  these  fel- 
lows," said  Swift. 

"Bah!"  sneered  Gage,  scornfully.  "What  does  this 
work  amount  to!  We'll  jump  on  Merriwell  and  pound 
him  to  death  in  short  order.  He  won't  last  three  innings.77 

"Vot  vos  dot?"  inquired  a  voice,  and  Hans  Dunner- 
wust  came  waddling  up.  "Vot  vos  dot  you  heardt  me 
say,  ain'd  id?  Merrivell  don'd  last  fife  minutes,  ur  some- 
ding  uf  dot  sort?  Veil,  I  pet  me  your  roll  dot  he  sdays 
in  der  pox  der  game  oudt.  Dot  vos  der  kindt  uf  a  hair- 
bin  I  vos!  Here  vos  my  Unided  Sdates  currency,  undt 
I  vill  pud  der  whole  shooding  match  on  him.  Uf  you 
has  some  money  und  sand,  put  ub  und  cofer  dat." 

Hans  actually  produced  a  roll  of  greenbacks,  w/hich  he 
flourished  excitedly  around  his  head. 

"Go  away,  you  chump !"  said  Gage.  "Don't  you  know 
betting  is  not  allowed?  You  will  get  yourself  into 
trouble,  if  you  don't  shut  up." 

"I'd  peen  more  bleased  uf  you  would  put  up,  ain'd  id  ?" 
said  Hans. 


Before  the  Game.  239 

The  practice  was  soon  over,  and  the  plebes  came  in 
from  the  field. 

Then  Frank  won  the  "toss,"  and  sent  his  men  first  to 
the  bat. 

The  regular  team  took  the  field.  Gage  sauntered  into 
the  box,  and  the  game  was  about  to  begin. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

THE     GAME     BEGINS. 

The  regular  team  had  decided  on  the  umpire,  without 
letting  the  plebes  have  anything  to  say  in  the  matter. 

In  fact,  Leslie  Gage  had  selected  the  umpire,  without 
giving  his  companions  an  opportunity  to  express  their 
desires. 

He  had  chosen  Watson  Snell,  a  particular  friend  of  his. 

As  Gage  sauntered  into  the  box,  Snell  broke  the  wrap- 
per on  a  new  Spalding  ball,  removed  the  tinfoil  from 
about  it,  and  tossed  the  snowy  sphere  to  the  pitcher. 

Gage  caught  it  with  one  hand,  stooped  and  gathered 
up  some  moist  dirt  from  the  ground,  and  gave  the  ball 
a  good  rubbing  with  it,  in  this  way  quickly  soiling  its 
spotless  cover. 

"Striker  up,"  called  the  umpire,  sharply. 

Barney  Mulloy  was  swinging  two  heavy  sticks  round 
his  head,  so  that  one  would  seem  light  when  its  mate 
was  dropped.  He  tossed  one  of  them  aside,  and  ad- 
vanced to  the  plate. 

"Don't  try  to  kill  the  ball  at  the  start,"  said  Frank, 
softly,  as  the  Irish  lad  passed  on  his  way  to  the  plate. 
"Do  your  best  to  hit  safe  for  one  bag." 

"All  roight,  me  b'y,"  was  the  reply.  "Oi'll  do  as  ye 
say,  though  Oi'd  loike  to  break  Gage's  hearrut  by  put- 
tin'  the  firrust  wan  over  th'  academy." 

Leslie  struck  an  attitude  in  the  box,  and  then,  like 
a  flash,  his  hand  cut  several  eccentric  circles  in  the  air, 
and  the  ball  came  whizzing  toward  the  catcher. 


The  Game  Begins.  241 

Barney  went  after  it,  and  he  missed  by  at  least  six 
inches,  for  Gage  had  given  the  sphere  a  big  "twist." 

"One  strike,"  called  the  umpire. 

Gage  smiled  in  a  patronizing  and  pitying  way,  and 
then  looked  round  on  the  spectators  for  signs  of  ap- 
proval. 

Barney  grinned,  as  he  lifted  his  bat  and  looked  it  all 
over,  saying,  loud  enough  to  be  distinctly  heard  in  that 
vicinity: 

"Begobs!     Oi  don't  see  nivver  a  hole  in  it." 

The  catcher  returned  the  ball  to  Leslie,  and  Barrjey 
prepared  for  the  next  move. 

As  the  first  had  been  an  out-curve,  the  Irish  lad  be- 
lieved Gage  would  expect  him  to  be  looking  for  an- 
other of  tfre  same  sort. 

"Just  let  him  give  me  an  inshoot,  an'  Oi'll  dhrop  it 
over  shortstop,"  thought  Barney. 

Once  more  Gage  made  those  bewildering  motions,  and 
then  delivered  the  ball. 

It  looked  a  trifle  wild  at  the  start,  and  it  was  speedy, 
so  Barney  was  given  little  time  for  thought,  but  he  knew 
it  was  just  the  kind  of  a  ball  the  average  pitcher  would 
use  if  he  wished  to  send  an  inshoot  over  the  plate. 

So  Mulloy  swung  at  it 

It  was  a  lucky  stroke,  for  the  curve  was  exactly  what 
Barney  had  counted  on,  and  he  did  drop  the  ball  just 
over  the  head  of  the  shortstop,  making  an  easy  single. 

"Wow!"  shouted  Hans  Dunnerwust,  unable  to  keep 
still.  "Uf  dot  Irish  poy  don'd  peen  porn  Irish,  he  vos  a 
Dutchman,  ain't  id?" 

Leslie  looked  disgusted. 

"That  was  a  clean  case  of  luck,"  he  thought".  "I 
ought  not  to  have  cut  the  plate  with  that  ball.  Here- 


242  The  Game  Begins. 

after  I'll  trim  the  comers,  and  we'll  see  what  the  rest  oi 
those  chumps  will  do." 

Bart  Hodge  was  the  next  man  up. 

He  selected  his  stick  with  care,  weighing  and  balanc- 
ing it  in  his  hands.  As  he  went  to  the  plate,  Frank  had 
a  word  for  him : 

"Advance  Mulloy  on  a  sacrifice,"  he  said,  quietly. 

For  one  instant  Bart  felt  like  rebelling,  for  he  be- 
lieved he  could  hit  safely,  and  it  was  his  ambition  to  show 
up  well  in  the  game,  as  he  desired  to  get  onto  the  regular 
team.  It  seemed  that  Merriwell  was  making  a  needless 
sacrifice  of  him,  and  it  was  not  his  nature  to  endure  any- 
thing like  that. 

But  Bart  was  doing  his  best  to  overcome  his  natural 
inclinations,  and  he  quickly  choked  back  the  words  which 
rose  to  his  lips.  When  he  entered  the  batter's  box  he 
had  made  up  his  mind  to  obey  Merriwell  to  the  best  of 
his  ability. 

Sammy  Smiles  now  "opened  up"  on  the  coach  line 
down  near  first,  and  the  way  he  worked  his  chin  quickly 
set  the  spectators  laughing.  Sammy  was  quick-witted 
and  jolly,  and  in  less  than  a  minute  he  had  demonstrated 
that  he  was  one  of  the  best  coach-line  chinners  ever  seen 
or  heard  at  Fardale. 

Frank  had  signaled  Barney  to  get  what  lead  he  could 
and  wait  for  a  sacrifice. 

Gage  tried  to  hold  the  Irish  lad  close  to  first.  He 
made  three  snap  throws  over  to  first,  every  one  of  them 
done  in  a  different  way,  and  each  one  came  near  catch- 
ing Barney.  Still  the  Irish  lad  continued  to  play  off, 
knowing  the  necessity  of  having  a  good  start  on  such  a 
sacrifice,  in  order  to  prevent  a  double  play. 

A  sacrifice  under  such  conditions  was  something  un- 


The  Game  Begins.  243 

usual,  and,  by  many,  would  not  be  considered  good  ball 
playing,  but  it  was  because  such  a  move  was  unusual 
and  would  not  be  expected  that  Merriwell  had  decided 
on  it.  Besides  that,  he  had  found  out  Hodge  was  a  great 
"bunter,"  and  a  bunt  sometimes  counts  more  than  a 
drive. 

Having  failed  to  catch  Barney,  Gage  faced  the  batter 
a  moment,  and  then,  with  no  preliminary  movements, 
delivered  the  ball. 

It  was  an  inshoot,  intended  to  shave  the  inside  corner 
of  the  plate. 

Bart  did  not  wait  for  the  second  ball. 

The  bunt  was  neatly  done,  and  Barney  went  racing 
down  to  second,  while  Hodge  did  his  best  to  get  first,  or 
to  draw  a  throw. 

The  third  baseman  got  in  and  gathered  the  ball  in  time 
to  throw  Bart  out  at  first,  but  the  bunt  had  been  suc- 
cessful, and  with  one  man  out,  the  plebes  had  another 
man  on  second. 

Gage  looked  more  disgusted  than  before. 

What  were  these  fellows  trying  to  do  ?  They  did  not 
seem  at  all  inclined  to  play  ball  after  the  established  sys- 
tem, for  they  swung  away  or  bunted  at  the  first  ball 
pitched,  and  advanced  the  first  man  up  on  a  sacrifice. 

"Shimminy  Gristmas!"  gurgled  Hans  Dunnerwust. 
"Here  comes  dot  pully  poy  mit  a  muscle  as  pig  as  a 
house!  Just  you  votch  Frankie  knock  der  peelin'  off 
dot  pall  bretty  queek." 

Merriwell  had  advanced  to  the  plate,  bat  in  hand. 

"If  he  touches  a  ball,  I'm  a  fool!"  thought  Gage,  who 
was  beginning  to  get  angry  in  earnest. 

"Whoop-ee!"  squealed  Sammy  Smiles,  as  he  stood  on 
his  head  on  the  coach-line  and  cracked  his  heels  together 


244  The  Game  Begins. 

in  the  air.  "We'll  have  those  fellows  playing  ball  this 
end  up  in  a  minute — in  a  minute!"  he  repeated,  with  em- 
phasis. "Wait  till  Merriwell  hammers  the  leather! 
When  did  we  ever  strike  such  a  snap  as  this  ?" 

"Oh,  close  your  face!"  muttered  Gage,  fiercely.  "You 
give  me  a  pain!" 

Sammy  heard  the  words,  and  he  instantly  retorted: 

"If  I  give  you  a  pain  now,  you  are  liable  to  be  in  great 
distress  before  long." 

This  kind  of  talk  was  not  allowable  on  the  coach-line, 
so  Frank  silenced  Sammy  with  a  warning  gesture. 

"Can't  I  warble?"  asked  the  little  fellow,  dolefully. 
"Am  I  a  clam?  Must  I  cease  to  chirp,  and  allow  my 
vocal  organs  to  become  corroded  ?" 

"You  are  not  allowed  to  address  the  pitcher,  or  any 
of  the  opposite  players,  sir,"  said  the  umpire,  severely. 
"If  you  offend  in  such  a  manner,  I'll  have  to  put  you  out 
of  the  game." 

"What  if  the  pitcher  addressed  me  first?  Can't  I  re- 
ply to  a  polite  invitation  to  close  my  face?" 

"I  have  warned  you  properly,"  said  Wat  Snell,  omin- 
ously. "You  must  be  careful." 

"Somebody  bring  me  a  plaster!"  chirped  Sammy.  "I 
want  it  to  put  over  this  hole  in  my  face,  for  I'm  bound 
to  talk  when  a  gentleman  politely  invites  me  to  close  the 
orifice." 

Gage  had  learned  that  some  of  the  opposite  batten 
were  dangerous,  and  so,  after  making  another  snap  throw 
to  hold  Barney  close  to  second,  he  gave  Frank  a 
"teaser."  The  ball  passed  at  least  four  inches  outside 
the  plate,  and  so  Frank  did  not  offer  at  it. 

"One  strike,"  called  the  umpire. 

Frank  made  a  protest,  but  he  was  cut  short,  which 


The  Game  Begins.  245 

made  him  not  a  little  angry,  for  he  saw  that  it  was  a  case 
of  "playing  ten  men." 

Gage  took  courage,  for  he  saw  that  Snell  was  bound 
to  show  him  every  favor. 

The  next  ball,  however,  was  so  far  outside  that  Snell 
was  forced  to  call  it  a  ball.  This  was  followed  by  one 
that  made  Frank  leap  out  of  the  way,  and  two  balls  had 
been  called. 

George  Harris  was  under  the  bat  now,  and  as  Walter 
Burrage  had  said,  he  was  all  right  as  a  backstop.  Up 
to  this  point  he  had  not  been  called  on  to  do  any  throw- 
ing, and  the  plebes  were  not  aware  that  he  was  not  a 
good  thrower,  and  so  Barney  was  taking  no  desperate 
chances. 

But  Gage  seemed  somewhat  "rattled,"  as  he  threw  yet 
another  wild  ball,  which  struck  the  ground  a  foot  in 
front  of  the  base. 

"Three  balls,"  decided  the  umpire,  but  his  tone  be- 
trayed that  he  did  so  with  the  utmost  reluctance. 

It  was  now  three  and  one,  and  Frank  resolved  to 
"take  another."  Gage  must  have  suspected  this,  for  he 
sent  a  swift,  straight  one  fairly  over  the  center  of  the 
plate. 

"Two  strikes,"  promptly  rang  out  the  umpire's  voice. 

It  was  now  an  even  thing — or  would  have  been  with 
a  square  umpire.  Frank,  however,  knew  Snell  was 
bound  to  give  Gage  the  best  of  it,  and  so  he  determined 
to  strike  at  the  next  one,  if  it  came  anywhere  near  the 
plate-range. 

It  was  an  out-curve,  and  it  passed  eight  inches  be- 
yond the  plate. 

Passed? 

Not  much! 


246  The  Game  Begins. 

Frank  had  a  long  bat,  and  he  swung  at  the  ball,  mak- 
ing calculations  for  the  curve  by  reaching  as  far  as 
possible. 

Crack!    Away  sailed  the  ball. 

"It's  a  corker!"  shrieked  Sammy  Smiles.  "Sprint, 
you  snails — sprint!" 


CHAPTER  XLI. 

THE  GAME  WAXETH  WARM. 

A  wild  howl  from  the  spectators  drowned  Sammy's 
falsetto,  but  he  continued  to  shriek  and  wave  his  short 
arms  till  he  grew  purple  in  the  face. 

Barney  Mulloy  was  a  good  runner,  and  he  tore  down 
the  line  to  third  like  a  race  horse. 

Ned  Gray  was  on  the  coach-line  near  third,  and  he 
wildly  waved  his  arms  for  Barney  to  make  home,  so  the 
Irish  lad  cut  as  short  as  he  could,  and  hustled  in  for  the 
first  score,  crossing  the  plate  on  the  jump. 

By  this  time  Merriwell  was  going  down  from  first  to 
second.  He  could  not  tell  just  what  had  become  of  the 
ball,  which  he  had  sent  somewhere  into  the  outfield,  but 
depending  entirely  on  the  coaches,  he  kept  straight  on 
over  second  and  ran  for  third. 

The  expression  on  Gray's  face,  together  with  his  ges- 
tures, told  that  it  was  going  to  be  a  snug  rub,  and  Frank 
strained  every  muscle. 

The  ball  had  been  recovered  and  sent  in  from  the  out- 
field to  short,  while  short  whirled  and  threw  to  third  to 
cut  the  runner  off  there. 

It  was  a  beautiful  throw.  The  ball  came  on  a  dead 
line,  and  there  was  a  sudden  hush,  for  it  seemed  that 
the  daring  runner  must  die  at  third. 

"Slide!"  screamed  Ned  Gray— "slide!  slide!" 

So  Frank  threw  himself  forward  and  slid  headlong, 
with  his  hand  outstretched  for  the  corner  of  the  bag. 


348         The  Game  Waxeth  Warm0 

Spat!  the  ball  struck  in  the  third  baseman's  hands,  and 
he  reached  to  touch  Merriwell. 

Too  late!  Frank  was  lying  there  covered  with  dust, 
his  hand  on  the  bag. 

"Safe  at  third,"  the  umpire  was  forced  to  declare. 

Then  wJhat  a  shout  went  up! 

"Hurrah  for  Merriwell!"  cried  the  spectators.  "Hur- 
rah! hurrah!  hurrah!" 

"Vot  I  tolt  you,  don'd  id?"  cried  Hans  Dunnerwust, 
so  delighted  that  he  could  not  keep  still.  "You  pet  me 
my  life  dot  poy  vas  a  daisy!  You  don'd  seen  der  peat  uf 
him  alretty  yet!" 

Leslie  Gage  seemed  dazed.  The  third  baseman  tossed 
the  ball  to  him,  and  he  caught  it  mechanically.  Then, 
with  a  sudden  burst  of  rage,  he  jumped  into  the  air  and 
hurled  the  ball  madly  on  the  ground  at  his  feet. 

"Vot  vas  der  madder  mit  dot  feller,  ain'd  id?"  roared 
Hans.  "He  don'd  seem  to  feel  so  veil  ash  he  mighdt. 
Und  he  vos  goin'  to  feel  a  greadt  deal  vorse  pefore 
soon." 

Leslie  was  furious.  How  Merriwell  had  obtained  a 
three-bagger  off  him  he  could  not  understand.  For  some 
seconds  he  acted  like  a  maniac,  and  one  or  two  of  the 
other  players  were  forced  to  run  in  to  calm  him  down. 

While  all  this  excitement  was  going  on,  Frank  got 
quietly  upon  his  feet  and  walked  down  toward  the  home- 
plate.  He  was  half  way  from  third  to  home  before  he 
was  noticed,  and  then  it  was  too  late  to  stop  him.  With 
a  merry  laugh,  he  darted  in  and  scored. 

Then  how  the  spectators  did  shout !  It  had  been  a  long 
day  since  they  had  seen  anything  that  delighted  them  so 
much. 

Once  more  they  cheered  for  Merriwell,  and  the  entire 


The  Game  Waxeth  Warm.         249 

plebe  team  gathered  to  congratulate  Frank.  Hans  rushed 
up  and  gave  Frank  a  terrible  thump  between  the  shoul- 
ders, as  he  cried : 

"S'himminy  Gristmas !  uf  I  efer  seen  der  peat  uf  dot, 
you  vos  a  liar !" 

This  stealing  home  was  too  much  for  Gage.  He  went 
into  such  a  passion  that  it  was  some  time  before  he  could 
be  calmed  at  all. 

"What  are  we — a  set  of  stiffs  ?"  he  cried,  grinding  his 
teeth  and  flinging  off  those  who  were  trying  to  cool  him 
down.  "Are  we  going  to  let  those  plebes  beat  us  easy  ?" 

"What's  the  use  to  get  so  excited  over  it,  old  man!" 
said  Roy  Swift.  "Merriwell  is  a  heavy  batter,  and  you 
can't  expect  to  fool  him  every  time." 

"Oh,  rats !  He  hit  that  by  accident.  He  can't  do  it 
again  in  a  thousand  years !" 

"Well,  cool  down,  or  you  won't  be  able  to  pitch  another 
ball  to-day.  You  are  too  excited  to  go  on  now." 

"Excited !  Well,  if  that  wasn't  enough  to  make  any 
one  excited !  Why,  that  ball  was  a  foot  beyond  the 
plate !  I  want  his  bat  measured.  It  must  be  four  inches 
longer  than  regulation  length." 

"It  is  not,  for  I  took  care  to  measure  it.  It  just  reached 
the  limit,  and  is  not  a  quarter  of  an  inch  longer,  so  it  can- 
not be  barred." 

"Well,  if  it  can't  be  barred,  it  can  be  broken,  and  I'll 
find  a  way  to  see  that  it  is.  No  more  such  accidents  will 
happen  this  day,  if  I  once  get  hold  of  that  bat." 

The  umpire  gave  the  regular  team  lots  of  time,  and 
Gage  gradually  became  calmer,  for  he  realized  that  he 
must  do  so  if  he  was  going  to  stay  in  the  box. 

Sam  Winslow  was  the  next  batter  on  the  list. 

Gage  set  his  teeth.    He  could  feel  his  entire  body  quiv- 


250         The  Game  Waxeth  Warm. 

ering,  and  he  took  plenty  of  time,  gathering  up  dirt,  rub- 
bing the  ball,  and  finding  his  position.  The  first  ball  he 
threw  showed  him  he  had  entirely  lost  control,  but  still 
he  hoped  to  get  back  in  form  in  a  few  minutes. 

Two  balls  were  called,  and  then  Winslow  struck  at  a 
fairly  good  one,  popping  up  a  fly  foul,  which  Harris 
easily  "smothered,"  and  two  of  the  plebes  were  out. 

This  gave  Gage  more  heart,  and  he  settled  down  to 
business.  With  two  men  out  and  no  one  on  bases,  he 
succeeded  in  striking  out  Sammy  Smiles,  and  the  plebes 
were  retired  with  two  scores  to  their  credit. 

"Now  we  will  get  square  with  those  fellows  in  great 
shape,"  said  Leslie,  as  he  came  in  from  the  box.  "We'll 
make  Merriwell  regret  he  is  alive.  Every  one  of  us  wants 
to  pound  him." 

Frank  threw  a  few  to  Barney  at  first  to  warm  up,  being 
twice  reminded  by  the  umpire  that  the  batter  was  at  the 
plate. 

Harvey  Dare  proved  to  be  the  first  man  on  the  batting 
list  of  the  regular  team. 

Frank  made  no  preliminary  flourishes,  but  sent  the  first 
ball  straight  and  fair  over  the  plate,  making  it  speedy. 

As  Frank  had  expected,  Dare  passed  the  first  one,  and 
stood  with  his  bat  poised,  allowing  the  umpire  to  call  a 
strike. 

Following  this,  Merriwell  sent  in  a  couple  of  wide  ones, 
and  two  balls  were  called. 

Then  he  tossed  up  a  slow  drop,  and  Dare  went  after  it 
with  all  his  strength,  striking  over  it  at  least  a  foot. 

Hodge  now  came  forward,  adjusted  the  breast-protec- 
tor and  mask,  and  got  under  the  bat. 

Two  strikes  and  two  balls  had  been  called. 

Hodge  gave  the  signal  for  an  inshoot,  and  Frank  put 


The  Game  Waxeth  Warm.         251 

on  steam  and  cut  the  inside  corner  of  the  plate,  but  heard 
the  umpire  rob  him  of  his  due  by  calling  a  ball. 

"I'll  have  to  fool  him  on  another  drop,"  thought  Frank. 
"That  is  the  only  way  to  get  him  to  strike  at  it,  and  Snell 
does  not  mean  to  call  a  strike  unless  he  is  forced  to  do 
so." 

So  he  gave  Dare  a  drop,  putting  more  speed  into  it 
than  he  did  into  the  other  ball.  Bart  had  signaled  for  a 
straight  ball,  but  Frank  had  signaled  back  that  he  was 
going  to  give  a  drop,  so  the  catcher  was  ready  for  it  when 
it  suddenly  seemed  to  shoot  toward  the  ground  just  as 
Harvey  Dare  struck. 

Whiz !  the  bat  encountered  nothing  but  empty  air. 

Plunk !  the  ball  was  held  in  Hodge's  big  glove. 

"Three  strikes ;  striker  out,"  decided  the  umpire. 

Then  there  was  a  great  clapping  of  hands,  and  among 
those  applauding,  Frank  saw  Inza  Burrage,  Walter  Bur- 
rage's  pretty  sister,  the  girl  Merriwell  had  twice  saved 
from  death.  His  heart  gave  a  leap,  and  the  hot  color 
came  to  his  cheeks,  while  he  mentally  resolved  to  do  his 
best,  knowing  how  her  admiring  eyes  were  watching 
every  move  he  made. 

Dare  walked  away  from  the  plate,  his  face  and  manner 
showing  his  deep  disgust. 

"What  made  you  let  him  fool  you  on  that  simple  drop?" 
demanded  Gage,  sharply.  "You  ought  to  have  knocked 
the  cover  off  the  ball." 

"Perhaps  I  ought,"  said  Harvey,  a  bit  sullenly;  "bu^ 
you  know  drops  are  my  special  weakness.  I  wonder  how 
Merriwell  found  it  out." 

Swift  was  the  second  man  up,  and  Gage  urged  him  to 
do  something.  He  said  he  would  do  his  best;  and  that 


252         The  Game  Waxeth  Warm. 

proved  of  no  consequence,  for  Merriwell  struck  him  out 
also. 

"You  fellows  make  me  sick!"  said  Gage,  as  he  picked 
up  a  bat  and  started  for  the  plate.  "It's  my  turn  now, 
and  111  show  you  what  easy  stuff  'Merriwell  is." 


CHAPTER   XLJI. 

"BY   FAIR    MEANS   OR    FOUL !" 

Gage  was  confident  and  determined;  he  meant  busi- 
ness. 

Hans  Dunnerwust  had  heard  Gage's  remark  that  he 
would  show  what  easy  "stuff"  Merriwell  was,  and  he 
cried : 

"Don'd  you  pelief  me !  I  haf  dot  roll  yet  avile  alretty, 
uf  you  vant  to  talk  peesness." 

Leslie  did  not  seem  to  hear  this.  He  gripped  the  bat 
firmly,  and  fell  into  a  correct  batting  position.  He  showed 
in  his  look  and  pose  that  he  had  no  intention  of  striking 
out. 

There  was  something  about  Gage's  manner  that  seemed 
a  challenge,  and  Frank  was  aroused  to  do  his  best.  He 
resolved  not  to  let  the  fellow  have  a  safe  hit,  if  he  had 
skill  enough  to  prevent  it.  He  did  not  believe  he  could 
strike  Gage  out ;  that  would  be  too  much  to  expect ;  but 
he  would  keep  him  down  as  well  as  possible.  At  the  same 
time,  he  knew  he  must  make  Leslie  swing  at  the  ball,  for 
it  was  not  likely  Snell  would  call  a  strike  on  him  unless 
he  did. 

"If  I  can  get  him  mad,  I'll  have  him,"  thought  Merri- 
well. "He  won't  want  to  take  his  base  on  balls,  and  he 
will  try  to  line  out  a  heavy  one." 

This  made  Frank  believe  Gage  would  strike  at  the  first 
ball  delivered,  in  case  the  ball  appeared  to  be  a  good  one. 

Bart  signaled  for  an  inshoot,  but  Frank  signaled  back 


254          "By  Fair  Means  or  Foul!" 

for  an  out-drop,  and  Bart  nodded  that  he  understood. 
Merriwell's  signals  were  so  skillfully  given  that  the  op- 
posite side  was  not  liable  to  detect  them.  They  consisted 
entirely  in  the  positions  he  assumed  when  about  to  deliver 
the  ball. 

Twining  his  long  fingers  round  the  ball,  Frank  sud- 
denly delivered  it,  with  a  snapping  motion  of  the  wrist. 

It  started  straight  for  Gage,  but  began  a  long  sweep 
almost  immediately  after  leaving  the  pitcher's  hand. 

Gage  observed  the  sweep  instantly,  and  he  knew  the  ball 
must  pass  over  the  plate.  He  did  not  take  into  considera- 
tion the  other  movement  imparted  to  it  by  the  snap  of  the 
wrist. 

With  all  his  strength  he  struck  at  it,  and  the  blow 
whirled  him  round  and  threw  him  off  his  feet,  for  his  bat 
encountered  no  resistance  beyond  the  empty  air. 

Bart  Hodge  seemed  to  dig  the  ball  out  of  the  dirt  near 
one  corner  of  the  plate,  for  he  was  playing  close  under 
now,  for  all  that  there  was  not  a  runner  on  a  base. 

"One  strike,"  came  from  the  umpire. 

"Shimminy  Gristmas!"  gurgled  Hans  Dunnerwust. 
"Vot  easy  stuff  dot  Merriwell  vos,  ain'd  it?  You  will  see 
dot  Leslie  Gage  knock  der  shdiffin'  dot  pall  oudt  bretty 
queek  alretty — I  don't  t'ink !" 

Gage  picked  himself  up,  looking  mad  enough  to  break 
something. 

"I  will  hit  it  next  time!"  he  grated,  as  he  weighed 
the  bat  in  his  hands  and  looked  it  over,  as  if  it  had  been 
responsible  for  his  miss.  "I  was  too  eager  to  crack  it 
then." 

But,  for  all  of  his  muttered  words,  his  confidence  was 


"By  Fair  Means  or  Foul!"          255 

sorely  shaken,  for  he  had  noted  the  wonderful  manner 
in  which  the  ball  dropped. 

Still  he  believed  that  Merriwell  was  nothing  but  a 
"drop-ball  pitcher,"  and  one  of  the  kind  that  could  be 
hammered  hard  when  batters  "got  on"  to  his  delivery. 

There  was  just  the  faintest  ghost  of  a  smile  round  the 
corners  of  Frank's  mouth,  and  that  was  more  aggravating 
to  Gage  than  a  broad  grin  could  have  been. 

"Oh,  that  plebe  is  a  conceited  whelp !"  he  thought. 

He  trembled  once  more  with  anger,  and  that  made  him 
far  less  likely  to  secure  a  safe  hit. 

Had  he  waited,  it  was  probable  that  Snell  would  have 
found  a  way  to  call  four  balls,  but  he  was  so  fierce  to 
make  a  safe  hit  that  he  defeated  himself. 

Frank's  next  ball  looked  like  a  straight  one. 

Gage  struck  again. 

Once  more  he  fanned  the  air,  for  he  had  counted  on  a 
straight  ball  or  a  drop,  and  it  had  proved  to  be  a  rise. 

"Two  strikes !" 

The  excitement  was  now  at  fever  heat. 

Merriwell  had  struck  out  the  first  two  men  up,  and  it 
seemed  that  he  might  serve  the  third  man  and  heaviest 
batter  on  the  team  the  same. 

Sammy  Smiles  kept  still  with  the  greatest  difficulty. 
The  grin  on  his  face  was  growing  broader  and  broader 
till  it  seemed  that  he  must  explode  in  another  moment. 

Now  Leslie  Gage's  face  was  ashen  white,  and  there 
was  a  wild  and  desperate  look  in  his  eyes.  He  gathered 
himself  once  more,  and  stood  up  to  the  plate  feeling  like  a 
person  with  one  chance  in  a  hundred  for  life— with  nine- 
ty-nine chances  for  death  against  him. 

"I  must  hit  it!    I  must  hit  it!"  he  kept  repeating  be- 


256         "By  Fair  Means  or  Foul!" 

neath  his  breath ;  but  he  was  no  longer  fully  confident  that 
he  could  accomplish  so  much. 

It  did  not  occur  to  him  then  to  hold  back  and  give  Snell 
a  chance  to  call  balls. 

Frank  Merriwell  seemed  preparing  for  a  special  effort. 

Gage  fully  believed  the  plebe  pitcher  was  about  to  try 
.his  most  difficult  combination  of  curves. 

Whiz !  the  ball  shot  through  the  air. 

Once  more  Gage  struck,  and,  to  his  astonishment  and 
disgust,  he  realized  when  it  was  too  late  that  Merriwell 
had  finally  thrown  a  straight  swift  ball  right  over  the 
inner  corner  of  the  plate. 

And  he  had  missed  it ! 

"Three  strikes — side  out !"  came  from  the  umpire. 

Merriwell  had  struck  out  three  men  in  succession,  and 
those  three  were  the  best  batters  of  the  regular  team. 

Gage  turned  away  from  the  plate  like  one  dazed.  He 
did  not  rage  and  fume,  for  he  was  too  stunned  for  that. 

The  crowd  cheered,  and  Roy  Swift  was  heard  to  say : 

"That  is  the  best  exhibition  of  ball-pitching  ever  seen 
on  this  ground — it  was  great  head-work  and  wonderful 
control.  If  Merriwell  can  keep  that  up,  he  is  a  wonder, 
and  he  will  become  our  star  pitcher." 

Gage  heard  it,  and  every  word  seemed  to  smite  him  on 
a  raw  and  bleeding  wound.  His  heart  swelled  to  bursting, 
almost,  and  things  reeled  around  him.  He  staggered  a 
bit,  recovering  himself  quickly,  flinging  off  the  attack. 

"Become  their  star  pitcher,  will  he  ?"  was  his  thought, 
as  he  reeled  beyond  the  crowd  that  was  cheering  and 
shouting  around  the  diamond.  "Not  if  I  live !  I  hate  him 
as  I  never  hated  a  human  being  before,  and  I  will  prevent 
him  from  getting  on  the  team — by  fair  means  or  foul !" 


"By  Fair  Means  or  Foul!"          257 

The  look  on  his  face  was  simply  murderous.  It  must 
have  betrayed  his  thoughts  had  any  one  observed  him 
then.  All  that  was  evil  in  the  fellow's  nature  had  been 
aroused,  and  he  was  ready  for  any  black  and  treacherous 
deed. 


CHAPTER   XLIII. 

HODGE     SHOWS      HIS      STUFF. 

"Whoopee!"  squealed  the  delighted  Sammy  Smiles, 
turning  a  series  of  handsprings,  as  Merriwell  struck  Gage 
out.  "All  down !  Set  'em  up  on  t'other  alley !  That 
beats !" 

"Oi  say,  Merriwell,"  called  Barney  Mulloy;  "don't  ye 
mane  to  give  th'  rist  av  us  a  chance  to  do  anything  at  all, 
at  all?" 

Hugh  Bascomb  was  the  only  player  who  did  not  come 
in  smiling.  Bascomb  looked  disgusted,  as  he  marched  in 
from  third. 

"Oh,  what  are  you  making  such  a  splurge  about !"  he 
muttered.  "It  was  an  accident.  Merriwell  will  have  a 
head  bigger  than  a  house  if  this  keeps  up." 

He  happened  to  approach  Gage,  and  the  eyes  of  the 
two  lads  met. 

"What  do  you  think  of  it?"  said  Bascomb.  "Wasn't 
that  great  luck  for  the  chump  to  have  all  in  a  streak  ?" 

Gage  knew  that  Bascomb  disliked  Merriwell  heartily, 
and  he  also  knew  that  the  big  third  baseman  for  the 
plebes  was  not  overburdened  with  scruples  concerning 
the  right  and  wrong  of  things. 

"It's  too  much,  Bascomb,"  he  said,  hoarsely.  "Look 
here — a  word  with  you." 

He  drew  the  big  fellow  aside,  and  they  had  their  heads 
close  together  for  a  few  moments.  When  this  interview — 
which  was  very  brief — ended,  something  was  seen  to  pass 
from  hand  to  hand,  and  they  separated  quickly. 


Hodge  Shows  His  Stuff.  259 

FranK  came  in  from  the  pitcher's,  box,  laughing 
quietly. 

"It  won't  be  liable  to  happen  again,"  he  said,  as  if 
making  a  promise.  "We  need  some  luck  at  the  start, 
so  we  will  have  courage." 

Inza  Burfage  was  so  excited  that  she  longed  to  hug 
Frank  right  there  before  them  all,  but  she  held  her  ex- 
uberance in  check  as  much  as  possible. 

Hodge  was  not  robbed  of  all  the  honors,  for  Frank 
complimented  him  on  his  efficient  back-stopping. 

It  is  true  that  Hodge  felt  more  than  one  thrill  of  jeal- 
ousy as  he  heard  the  crowd  cheering  for  Merriwell,  but 
he  had  resolved  to  overcome  this  inclination  in  himself, 
and  he  forced  it  down,  trying  to  feel  as  elated  as  any 
one. 

"My  back-stopping  may  be  all  right,"  he  said,  "but 
you  haven't  given  me  a  chance  to  do  anything  else,  old 
man.  I'd  like  to  try  a  throw  to  second  to  see  if  I  can 
cut  a  runner  off." 

"You  are  liable  to  get  chances  enough  before  the  game 
is  over,"  assured  Frank.  "I  am  not  going  to  strike  out 
every  man  up,  although  I  will  confess  I'd  like  to  do  so 
if  I  were  able." 

Gage  took  a  drink  of  water,  wet  his  temples  and  wrists, 
and  then  went  down  to  the  pitcher's  box  once  more. 
The  set  of  his  jaw  was  like  iron,  and  his  face  was  pale 
as  marble. 

Was  it  possible  that  he,  who  had  captained  one  of  thcf 
leading  amateur  ball  teams  in  the  State,  was  going  to  be 
set  aside  for  this  plebe  whom  he  hated? 

Such  humiliation  would  be  too  much  to  endure,  and  he 
had  sworn  to  prevent  it  "by  fair  means  or  foul."  Al- 


a6o  Hodge  Shows  His  Stuff. 

ready  he  had  taken  steps.  Would  his  ally  be  able  to 
carry  out  the  scheme  successfully  ? 

"If  not,  I  will  find  some  other  way,"  he  told  himself. 
"That  Merriwell  shall  not  triumph  over  me!" 

He  was  resolved  to  pitch  for  his  life,  and  he  started  in 
vto  do  so,  for  he  struck  out  the  first  plebe  to  come  to  bat, 
which  gave  him  new  confidence. 

"I'll  get  it  back— I'll  be  all  right,"  he  thought.  "With 
Merriwell  out  of  the  way,  I  need  fear  no  one  else." 

The  second  man  hit  a  skipping  grounder  to  short. 
It  was  an  elusive  ball  to  handle,  and  the  shortstop  fum- 
bled it  just  long  enough  for  the  batter  to  reach  first. 

This  error  made  Gage  angry  again,  and  he  shot  a  hot 
remark  at  the  fellow  who  made  it. 

Frank  Merriwell  was  now  on  the  coach  line  near  first, 
with  Sammy  Smiles  over  by  third.  Sammy  opened  up 
in  his  rattling  way,  while  Frank  talked  directly  to  the 
runner,  coaching  the  fellow  to  get  a  good  lead.  Gage 
threw  over  once,  and  then  pitched  the  ball. 

The  next  batter  stood  with  his  bat  on  his  shoulder,  as 
signaled  to  do  by  Frank,  and  took  a  called  strike. 

The  runner  had  been  instructed  in  advance,  and  he 
darted  for  second. 

Then  was  shown  the  weak  point  on  the  regular  team, 
for  Harris  made  a  bad  throw,  and  the  bag  was  stolen 
with  ease. 

This  encouraged  Frank  to  repeat  the  attempt,  and  he 
made  two  swift  signals,  one  to  the  batter,  and  the  other 
to  the  runner,  both  of  which  were  observed  and  under- 
stood. 

Gage,  finding  the  base-runner  was  lively,  made  an  at- 
tempt to  keep  him  close  to  second,  but  all  his  tricks  to 


Hodge  Shows  His  Stuff.  261 

citch  the  fellow  failed,  and  still  the  runner  played  off 
daringly. 

Once  again  the  batter  stood  with  his  bat  uplifted  and 
allowed  a  ball  to  pass,  while  the  runner  scudded  for 
third. 

And  once  again  Harris  made  a  poor  throw,  so  the  bag 
was  obtained. 

Frank  had  found  out  all  he  desired  to  know;  bases 
could  be  stolen  at  will  on  Harris.  He  made  a  signal  for 
the  batter  to  line  out  a  hit.  But  it  was  much  easier  to 
make  a  signal  than  it  was  to  make  the  hit,  for  Gage  had 
no  idea  that  the  batter  would  let  another  good  one  pass 
without  striking,  and  so  he  began  to  send  up  "coaxers." 
Two  of  these  the  batter  let  pass,  and  then,  growing  too 
anxious,  he  struck  at  the  third — missed  it — was  out. 

Two  men  were  out,  and  the  plebes  had  a  man  on  third. 
Gage  resolved  that  the  fellow  on  third  should  not  score, 
and  he  did  not,  for  the  next  man  popped  up  a  little  fly 
to  second  base,  and  was  caught  out. 

This  was  better,  and  Gage  felt  relieved  as  they  walked 
in  from  the  field. 

"Now  we  must  make  some  scores,  boys,"  he  said.  "If 
we  once  fall  on  that  fellow  Merriwell,  we'll  hammer  out 
a  hundred  without  stopping.  I  believe  he  is  fruit,  but 
we  must  find  out  how  to  pick  him." 

The  batter  to  follow  Gage  on  the  list  was  a  good  man, 
and  the  team  depended  on  him  for  something. 

Now  it  happened  that  Frank  Merriwell,  always  gener^ 
ous,  .had  resolved  that  Bart  Hodge  should  have  a  show 
to  exhibit  his  throwing  and  nmke  known  the  fact  that  he 
was  Harris'  superior. 

The  first  batter  got  a  safe  base  hit,  which  did  not 


262  Hodge  Shows  His  Stuff. 

worry  Frank  at  all,  as  it  was  an  exhibition  game,  and  he 
did  not  wish  to  carry  off  all  the  honors. 

His  only  fear  was  that  the  coacher  would  not  try  to  run 
the  man  for  second,  and,  to  give  both  courage,  he  did  not 
pay  much  attention  to  first,  allowing  the  fellow  to  get 
a  good  lead. 

Then  he  threw  a  straight  one  for  the  benefit  of  Hodge, 
making  it  too  far  away  for  the  batter  to  get  without 
stepping  on  foul  ground. 

The  runner  made  for  second,  and  it  seemed  that  he 
would  steal  the  bag  with  ease. 

Then  Hodge  showed  the  kind  of  stuff  there  was  in  him, 
for  he  caught  the  ball  as  a  hungry  dog  snaps  up  a  bone, 
and  threw  it  with  a  short  arm  movement  that  did  not 
*eem  to  give  him  any  effort  at  all. 

Straight  and  sure  as  a  bullet  it  flew  to  second,  going 
from  Hodge's  shoulder  down  to  the  baseman's  knees, 
which  was  the  best  place  to  catch  a  ball  and  put  it 
onto  a  sliding  man. 

The  runner  had  slid,  but  the  baseman  got  the  ball 
and  tagged  the  player  at  least  four  feet  from  the  base. 

Then  the  spectators  cheered  for  Hodge. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

THE     TIDE     TURNS. 

"Hurrah!"  cried  a  village  boy.  "You  fellows  with 
the  uniforms  better  take  'em  off  and  give  'em  to  the 
other  crowd!  They  can  beat  you  with  seven  men!" 

"Vot's  der  madder  mit  you?"  came  from  Hans  Dun- 
nerwust.  "You  don'd  know  vot  you  vas  dalking  apoud, 
ain'd  id  ?  Don'd  you  know  Leslie  Cage  was  von  uf  dose 
vellers  mit  der  uniforms  on  alretty  yet?  He  don'd  pe- 
lief  nopody  can  peat  him  aroundt  here." 

"That  was  a  beautiful  throw,  old  man,"  said  Frank, 
to  Bart.  "I  don't  believe  they  will  steal  more  than  a 
hundred  bases  on  you  to-day." 

The  next  fellow  lined  out  a  long  one,  which  was 
dropped  by  the  left-fielder.  But  the  runner  did  not  try 
to  steal  second.  He  remained  at  first,  and  saw  the  next 
two  men  die  without  starting  for  a  bag.  The  first 
popped  a  fly  foul  to  Hodge,  although  the  trick  seemed 
impossible,  and  the  last  one  struck  out. 

At  the  end  of  the  second  inning  the  score  stood  two  to 
nothing,  in  favor  of  the  plebes. 

The  regular  team  was  thoroughly  angry,  but  they  pro- 
tested that  they  were  "just  fooling  with  the  plebes,"  and 
would  come  off  with  flying  colors  at  the  end. 

This  talk,  however,  did  not  fool  anybody  who  was 
familiar  with  the  game  of  baseball,  as  it  was  apparent 
that,  up  to  that  point,  the  regulars  had  been  more  than 
matched  by  the  plebes. 

And  now,  to  Gage's  dismay,  he  saw  that  the  strong 


264  The  Tide  Turns. 

end  of  the  batting  list  came  up  against  him,  the  plebes 
having  struck  round  once  in  the  two  innings. 

Mulloy  was  the  first  man  to  step  up  to  the  plate,  and 
Mulloy  was  surely  dangerous. 

Gage  resolved  to  be  cool.  He  turned  his  back  to  the 
batter,  and  looked  over  the  field,  motioning  quietly  for 
two  of  the  men  to  shift  their  positions  somewhat. 

Then  .he  tossed  his  cap  on  the  ground  by  his  side,  threw 
back  his  head,  and  turned  about. 

A  second  later,  the  first  ball  sped  from  his  hand,  gave 
a  quick  shoot  in  the  air,  and  cut  a  corner  of  the  plate. 

"One  strike,"  decided  the  umpire. 

The  next  two  were  so  wide  that  the  umpire  was  forced 
to  call  them  balls.  Then  came  one  that  was  on  a  level 
with  Barney's  eyes,  but  it  was  called  a  strike. 

The  Irish  lad  smiled  scornfully.  It  was  apparent  that 
he  was  to  be  given  very  little  show,  and  so,  deciding  that 
Gage  would  be  likely  to  follow  the  high  hall  with  a  very 
low  one,  he  prepared  to  swing  at  the  next,  if  it  was  within 
reach. 

Harris  came  up,  adjusted  the  mask,  and  got  under  the 
bat. 

As  Barney  had  anticipated,  the  next  ball  was  a  low  one. 

He  "nailed"  it. 

Up,  up  into  the  air,  and  away  flew  the  ball,  while 
Barney  struck  out  for  first,  the  crowd  shouting  its  en- 
couragement and  delight. 

Gage's  heart  gave  a  great  jump  when  Molloy  struck 
the  ball,  and  he  turned  to  follow  its  flight  with  his  eye. 
Then  a  feeling  of  intense  satisfaction  and  relief  came  to 
him,  for  he  saw  he  had  moved  one  of  the  fielders  to  a 
position  that  was  going  to  enable  him  to  get  under  the 


The  Tide  Turns.  265 

fly.  If  he  had  not  moved  the  man,  the  ball  must  have 
passed  beyond  his  reach. 

The  man  got  under  it — caught  it — held  it ! 

"Batter  is  out,"  clearly  rang  the  voice  of  the  umpire. 

Barney  was  already  running  for  second,  but  he  heard 
the  decision  and  stopped  promptly. 

"Oh,  keep  on  running,"  sneered  Gage.  "You  may  as 
well  run  round." 

"Begobs !  it  wasn't  your  fault  thot  Oi  didn't,"  quickly 
retorted  Barney. 

Hodge  came  next  to  bat. 

"Soak  it,"  advised  Frank.  "You  sacrificed  before ;  line 
it  out  this  time." 

Bart  nodded.  Then  he  came  up  and  made  an  offer  at 
the  first  ball  pitched,  as  if  he  meant  to  bunt  it  to  the 
ground  just  in  front  of  the  base,  -and  try  to  "beat  It  out 
to  first,"  as  the  catcher  was  playing  back. 

Bart  had  bunted  before,  and  this  second  attempt  made 
it  seem  as  if  the  bunt  was  his  particular  trick. 

Gage  called  in  both  outfielders  and  infielders. 

Then  he  pitched  a  ball  for  Hodge  to  bunt,  starting1 
forward  toward  third-base  line  the  moment  the  ball  left 
his  hand. 

But  Hodge  did  not  bunt  this  time.  The  first  offer  had 
been  made  with  the  intention  of  deceiving,  and  it  suc- 
ceeded admirably. 

He  struck  the  ball  fairly,  and,  with  a  good  display  of 
strength,  sent  it  into  the  air  on  a  line  that  carried  it  di- 
rectly over  the  head  of  the  shortstop. 

This  time  Gage  looked  in  vain  for  somebody  to  catch 
the  ball,  and  Hodge  did  not  stop  till  he  was  safely  on 
third. 


266  The  Tide  Turns. 

He  had  duplicated  Merriwell's  trick,  and  done  it  with 
ease. 

Now  the  spectators  actually  began  to  make  sport  of 
Gage  and  the  regular  team. 

Before  going  to  bat,  Merriwell  stepped  toward  the 
water  pail  to  get  a  drink. 

Bascomb  was  just  taking  a  drink,  and  he  dipped  up 
some  water  as  Frank  approached. 

Gage's  eyes  glittered  as  he  saw  the  big  plebe  pass  the 
dipper  to  Merriwell. 

"This  game  will  soon  turn  the  other  way  now," 
thought  Leslie. 

Frank  drank,  and  then  came  to  the  bat. 

Gage  tried  to  dally  with  him  by  pitching  "coaxers,"  but 
lie  lost  control  of  one,  and  it  happened  to  be  near  the 
corner  of  the  base. 

Frank  struck  it  for  one  base,  and  Hodge  scored. 

Then  Merriwell  stole  second,  and  took  third  on  a 
wild  throw  from  Harris. 

But  he  did  not  get  home,  for  the  next  two  men  went 
out,  one  on  strikes  and  the  other  on  a  fly  to  short. 

The  score  was  now  three  to  nothing. 

"Holdt  on,  poys!"  cried  Hans  Dunnerwust.  "Vot  for 
you  vant  to  peat  dose  chaps  so  pad  for,  ain'd  id?  Uf 
you  don'd  let  up  alretty  yet,  dot  pall  glub  vill  dispand." 

Frank  felt  queer  as  he  entered  the  box.  His  head 
was  strangely  light,  and  things  around  seemed  a  trifle 
blurred  and  hazy. 

"I  wonder  what  the  matter  can  be?"  he  muttered,  put- 
ting his  hand  to  his  head.  "I  never  felt  like  this  before." 

Gage  -was  watching  his  movements,  and  a  smile  of 
fierce  satisfaction  flitted  across  the  face  of  the  pitcher 
fc»r  the  regular  teams. 


The  Tide  Turns.  267 

"He  will  go  to  pieces  this  time,  sure,"  he  muttered.  "I 
hope  he  will  keep  up  long  enough  for  us  all  to  get  a 
crack  at  him." 

To  the  astonishment  of  almost  everybody,  Merriwell 
did  seem  to  go  to  pieces,  for  the  first  man  up  hit  safe, 
the  next  made  two  bags,  and  the  third  sacrificed  so  the 
man  in  advance  came  home. 

The  regulars  had  made  their  first  score. 

"Now,  you  fellows  who  have  been  having  so  much  to 
say,  just  watch  us  pile  up  the  runs,"  laughed  Leslie  Gage. 

He  advised  everybody  to  "hammer  the  leather  hard," 
and  all  seemed  to  take  his  advice,  for  hits  were  made  right 
and  left,  and  two  more  scores  came  in,  making  the  game 
a  tie  at  that  point. 

And  still  but  one  of  the  regulars  was  out. 

There  was  a  look  of  wonderment  on  Bart  Hodge's 
face,  for  he  could  not  understand  what  it  meant.  He  was 
signaling  to  Frank  for  certain  balls,  but  Merriwell  paid 
very  little  heed  to  the  signals,  "crossing  signs"  more  than 
once,  and  sending  in  a  straight,  easy  ball  the  most  of  the 
time. 

"What  can  be  the  matter  with  him?"  thought  Bart. 
"He  seems  to  be  out  of  it.  I  know  something  is  wrong." 

Then,  with  the  ball  in  his  hand,  he  walked  down  to 
speak  to  Frank. 

"Ha!  ha!  ha!"  laughed  Leslie  Gage,  exultantly. 
"We've  got  'em  chewing  gum  now,  boys !  This  will  be  a 
regular  cinch  from  now  out." 

"What  is  the  matter,  Frank?"  asked  Bart,  anxiously. 
"You  are  giving  those  fellows  everything  they  want." 

"I  know  it,"  was  the  husky  reply,  as  Merriwell  stared 
at  Hodge  with  hazy  eyes.  "I  thought  I  would  come 


268  The  Tide  Turns. 

round  in  a  few  moments,  and  I  did  not  want  to  leave  the 
box,  for  I  know  they  would  say  I  was  batted  out ;  but  I 

guess  you'll  have  to  put  somebody — else — in — my " 

He  pitched  forward,  and  was  kept  from  falling  by 
Bart's  supporting  arms. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

HODGE  EXPRESSES  HIS  MIND. 

"What's  happened?" 

"Merriwell's  hurt!" 

"He's  fainted!" 

"Bring  some  water — quick !" 

Then  the  crowd  surged  into  the  diamond  and  gathered 
about  the  two  lads. 

"Keep  back,  will  you!"  cried  Bart  Hodge,  sharply,  as 
he  still  supported  Frank.  "Don't  crowd  round  us! 
Merriwell  will  be  all  right  soon." 

"But  not  soon  enough  to  finish  this  game  of  ball," 
thought  Leslie  Gage,  exultantly. 

"What's  the  matter  with  him,  anyway  ?"  asked  a  voice. 

"Oh,  the  hammering  he  was  getting  has  made  him  ill," 
laughed  Gage,  sneeringly. 

Hodge  gave  the  fellow  a  black  look. 

"The  hammering  you  are  liable  to  get  will  make  you 
sick,"  he  flashed. 

"What's  that?" 

Gage  clenched  his  fists  and  started  for  Hodge,  only  to 
find  his  path  blocked  by  Barney  Mulloy,  who  said : 

"Oi  wouldn't  bother  t-h'  b'y  now,  my  hearty.  Av  it's 
anything  ye  want  av  thim,  just  look  to  me  fer  it." 

"I  wouldn't  disgrace  myself  by  getting  into  trouble 
with  you !"  sneered  Gage. 

"It  would  be  a  disgrace  to  yez,  fer  Oi'd  bate  th'  face  off 
yez,  me  darlint,"  chirped  the  Irish  boy. 

Leslie  turned  away,  muttering  fierce  words. 


270        Hodge  Expresses  His  Mind. 

Frank  had  not  fainted,  but  his  strength  had  left  himt 
and  things  were  going  round  and  round. 

"Help  me  off  the  ground,"  he  whispered.  "I  think  I 
must  be  ill.  Perhaps  I  will  come  round  all  right  later 
on." 

Hodge's  arm  was  about  him,  and  Hodge's  voice  re- 
plied : 

"There's  something  crooked  about  this,  I'll  bet  my  life! 
Come  on,  Frank." 

The  crowd  parted  for  them!  to  move  along,  and  among 
those  who  watched  them  was  a  pretty  girl  with  a  pallid 
face,  clasped  hands,  and  wildly  throbbing  heart. 

"Oh,  it  is  so  strange !  What  can  it  mean  ?"  came  from 
the  lips  of  Inza  Burrage. 

Leslie  Gage  had  sauntered  toward  her,  and  was  near 
enough  to  hear  her  words.  He  knew  of  her  friendship 
for  Merriwell,  and  he  longed  to  supplant  Frank  in  her 
favor. 

"Excuse  me,  Miss  Burrage,"  he  said,  lifting  his  cap 
politely,  and  stepping  forward ;  "I  fancy  I  can  tell  what  it 
means." 

"Oh,  can  you,  Mr.  Gage?  I  hope  it  is  nothing  se- 
rious ?" 

"Nothing  very  serious,  you  may  be  sure,"  smiled  Leslie, 
insinuatingly.  "It  is  simply  a  case  of  flunk.  Weak  heart 
and  weak  knees.  Merriwell  was-  being  batted  too  hard, 
and  he  lost  his  courage." 

She  gave  him  a  look  of  surprise  and  indignation. 

"It  cannot  be  that  you  know  Mr.  Merriwell  very  well, 
sir,"  she  said,  severely.  "He  is  the  last  person  in  the 
world  to  lose  his  courage.  You  should  remember  that 
he  has  twice  saved  me  from  death." 

"I  do  remember  that  he  has  been  thus  fortunate,"  said 


Hodge  Expresses  His  Mind.        271 

Gage,  smoothly.  "He  is  a  very  lucky  dog,  for  he  has 
won  your  esteem  and  friendship.  Now,  if  I  could  have 
been  thus  fortunate — if  I  had  been  given  the  two  oppor- 
tunities to  save  you " 

"Could  you  have  done  so  any  better  than  Mr.  Merri- 
well  did?" 

"Oh,  I  don't  know  as  I  could ;  but  I  should  have  been 
fortunate  enough  to  win  your  regard,  which  I  sincerely 
covet.  But  what  has  just  happened  must  convince  you 
that  Merriwell  is  not  what  is  known  as  a  stayer,  although 
he  may  do  brave  things  by  flashes.  Look  the  way  I  had 
to  take  it  the  first  of  the  game.  I  didn't  give  up,  but  I 
stuck  to  it.  As  soon  as  the  tide  turned  and  we  fell  on 
Merriwell,  he  weakened." 

Inza  was  indignant. 

"I  refuse  to  believe  that  he  weakened !"  she  cried,  her 
eyes  flashing.  "He  was  taken  ill — I  am  sure  of  it!" 

Gage  smiled  indulgently. 

"Merriwell  is,  indeed,  fortunate  in  having  such  a  friend1 
as  you,"  he  said,  "but  I  think  you  will  find  the  most  of  the 
spectators  will  agree  with  me  in  thinking  he  weakened." 

"I  don't  care  a  snap  for  that,  and  I  think  you  ought  to 
be  ashamed  to  talk  about  him  so!  As  a  pitcher,  he  is 
your  rival,  and  rivals  should  be  generous.  At  least,  they 
shouldn't  say  mean  things  behind  each  other's  back." 

"Excuse  me,  but  I  do  not  consider  Merriwell  my  rival 
as  a  pitcher.  I  am  the  regular  pitcher  of  the  Fardale 
Academy  team,  and  Merriwell  is  not  in  it  at  all.  More 
than  that,  he  has  no  chance  of  getting  in.  His  pitiful  ex- 
hibition of  weakness  to-day  has  spoiled  his  chance,  if  he 
ever  had  one.  He  is  very  fortunate  to  have  such  a  warm 
friend  in  you,  but  that  will  not  help  his  case  with  the  boys 
who  know  him." 


272         Hodge  Expresses  His  Mind. 

At  this  point  the  umpire  called  "play,"  and  Gage  ex- 
cused himself,  leaving  Inza  in  an  angry  and  doubtful 
mood.  To  save  her  life  she  could  not  help  wondering 
if  Frank  had  really  been  ill,  or  had  "'weakened"  when  he 
found  himself  batted  hard,  as  Gage  had  claimed. 

From  the  moment  that  Frank  left  the  box,  the  game 
had  little  interest  for  her.  In  fact,  it  had  lost  its  interest 
for  the  spectators,  as  the  lad  who  took  Merriwell's  place 
was  "easy,"  and  the  regular  team  immediately  obtained  a 
lead,  which  they  easily  held  throughout  the  game,  finally 
defeating  the  plebes  by  a  score  of  nineteen  to  seven. 

Merriwell  had  been  taken  to  the  hospital,  but  the  physi- 
cian there  could  not  find  that  anything  in  particular  was 
the  matter  with  him,  although  his  pulse  was  somewhat 
above  normal. 

Hans  Dunnerwust,  looking  sad  and  disconsolate,  hung 
about  till  it  was  reported  that  nothing  serious  was  ailing 
Frank,  and  then  he  went  back  to  see  the  remainder  of  the 
ball  game.  But  he  kept  very  still  as  he  watched  it  out, 
and  he  took  pains  to  get  away  before  the  last  inning  was 
finished. 

"Dot  Leslie  Cage  don'd  haf  a  gread  teal  uf  fun  mit  me, 
uf  I  can  keep  oudt  uf  his  vay,  you  pet  me  my  poots,"  he 
muttered. 

Gage  was  smiling  and  triumphant  at  the  close  of  the 
game. 

"Of  course  we  had  to  fool  with  those  babies  a  little  at 
the  beginning  of  the  game,"  he  said,  speaking  loudly  for 
Hodge  to  hear ;  "but  we  simply  did  so  to  give  them  cour- 
age. When  we  got  ready,  we  sailed  in  and  soaked  it  to 
'em." 

"Which  you  never  could  have  done  had  Merriwell  been, 


Hodge  Expresses  His  Mind.         273 

able  to  remain  in  the  game,"  shot  back  Bart,  who  was 
foiling  with  suppressed  wrath. 

"Ha!  ha!  ha!"  laughed  Leslie.  "That  must  be  in- 
tended for  a  joke !  Why,  we  didn't  do  a  thing  but  ham- 
mer Merriwell  out  of  the  box." 

"You  didn't  hammer  him  out  of  the  box,  as  you  very 
well  know.  You  did  get  a  few  hits  off  him ;  but  he  was 
so  dizzy  at  the  time  that  he  could  scarcely  stand." 

"Dizzy !  Well,  that  is  good !  I  don't  wonder  he  was 
dizzy.  The  way  we  were  pounding  him  was  enough  to 
make  him  dizzy.  Why  not  own  up  that  Merriwell  found 
he  was  being  batted,  and  flunked  out?" 

"Because  it  is  not  true.  He  is  not  the  kind  of  a  fel- 
low to  flunk,  as  you  very  well  know." 

"Well,  he  flunked  to-day." 

"You  know  better !" 

"How  do  I  know  better?" 

"Because  I  believe  you  know  what  really  ailed  him." 

Hodge  fastened  his  dark  eyes  accusingly  on  Gage,  who 
showed  some  signs  of  nervousness. 

"I  don't  understand  what  you  mean,"  he  said. 

"Did  you  observe  that  the  drinking  dipper  was  missing 
immediately  after  Merriwell  left  the  ground?"  asked 
Bart. 

"Why — ah — yes.  I  heard  the  fellows  call  for  another 
dipper." 

"Exactly.  I  took  the  other  one,  and  I  found  something 
in  it." 

A  bit  of  color  left  Leslie's  face,  while  Bascomb,  who 
had  been  listening,  caught  his  breath  and  looked  startled. 

"Found  something  in  it?"  repeated  Leslie  Gage,  ques- 
tioningly.  "What  did  you  find  ?" 

"I  don't  know  yet  what  it  is,  but  I  mean  to  find  out 


274        Hodge  Expresses  His  Mind. 

It  was  some  sort  of  a  white  powder  which  did  not  en- 
tirely dissolve  in  the  water." 

Not  a  few  of  the  boys  were  listening,  and  Hodge's 
words  produced  an  immediate  stir  of  excitement. 

"A  white  powder?"  cried  Walter  Burrage,  pushing  his 
way  to  the  center  of  the  group.  "Why,  it  can't  be  that 
you  mean  to  hint " 

"Can't  it!"  exclaimed  Bart.  "Well,  I  am  allowed  to 
think,  I  presume?" 

"Of  course;  and  you  think — just  what?" 

"I  think  Frank  Merriwell  was  drugged  during  the  third 
inning!"  declared  Hodge,  with  his  eyes  fastened  fairly 
on  Leslie  Gage. 


CHAPTER  XLVI. 
.GONE! 

"Drugged?" 

"Impossible!" 

The  exclamations  came  from  Burrage  and  Swift.  Les- 
lie Gage  forced  a  laugh,  and  said : 

"That's  rot.  We  fell  onto  Mem-well's  delivery,  and 
hammered  'him  unmercifully,  which  made  him  weaken. 
Merriwell  has  wiped  his  feet  on  Hodge  in  the  past,  and 
now  Hodge  is  ready  to  crawl  for  the  fellow." 

"Frank  Merriwell  has  used  me  far  better  than  I  de- 
served," declared  Bart,  manfully.  "I  know  he  has  ene- 
mies who  would  not  hesitate  to  drug  him.  There  are 
those  who  were  naturally  much  concerned  when  he  began 
to  show  up  brilliantly  as  a  pitcher,  and " 

"Now,  I  presume  you  are  making  a  thrust  at  me,  Mr. 
Hodge!"  blazed  Gage.  "If  that  is  so,  you  have  missed 
the  mark,  for  I  saw  at  the  outset  that  he  was  a  very  or- 
dinary pitcher — one  who  would  go  to  pieces  as  soon  as 
he  was  batted  a  little.  He  didn't  worry  me  in  the  least. 
As  soon  as  he  saw  we  were  onto  him,  he  pretended  he  was 
ill,  so  that  he  might  get  out  of  the  game.  I'll  bet  he'll 
show  up  all  right  to-night." 

"All  the  same,  I  propose  to  know  what  kind  of  stuff 
the  white  powder  in  the  bottom  of  that  dipper  is,"  as- 
serted Hodge. 

"What  do  you  suppose  I  care.  I  didn't  have  an  op- 
portunity to  drug  him,  if  I  had  been  mean  enough  to  do 


276  Gone! 

such  a  thing,  so  I  am  not  worried  about  anything  you 
found  in  the  dipper." 

"You  may  not  have  had  an  opportunity,  Mr.  Gage,  but 
I  know  there  are  others  who  dislike  Merriwell  quite  as 
much  as  you  do,  and  they  would  readily  give  you  a  help- 
ing hand." 

Gage  could  endure  no  more. 

"You  have  made  too  much  talk,  Hodge!"  he  flashed. 
"If  you  say  I  drugged  him,  or  had  anything  to  do  with 
it,  you  are  a  liar !  You  are  welcome  to  pick  that  up  im- 
mediately." 

This  was  fighting  talk,  and  Lieutenant  Gordan  was 
seen  approaching  the  group. 

Hodge  started  for  Gage,  his  hands  clenched,  and  an 
ugly  look  on  his  face;  but  the  cadets  quickly  closed  be- 
tween them,  and  held  them  apart,  while  Barney  Mulloy 
said  to  Bart : 

"Aisy,  me  laddybuck !  Wait  a  bit,  fer  th'  leftenant  is 
comin'  this  woay.  Ye'll  have  plinty  av  chances  ter  cram 
th'  wurruds  down  th'  throat  av  th'  spalpane.  Besoides 
thot,  ye  had  best  prove  thot  Merriwell  wur  drugged  be- 
fore ye  do  anything  more.  Thot  will  make  yure  soide 
popular,  an'  thot's  what  ye  warnt." 

Gage  was  easily  pacified  and  drawn  aside,  so  nothing 
further  passed  at  that  time  between  the  two  lads. 

Bart  immediately  hurried  to  the  hospital,  where  he 
found  Frank  on  the  point  of  leaving. 

"Have  you  entirely  recovered?"  asked  Hodge,  anx- 
iously. 

"Nearly  so,"  replied  Frank,  "although  my  head  aches 
somewhat.  What  do  you  suppose  ailed  me,  Bart  ?" 

"You  took  a  drink  while  we  were  at  bat  just  before 
the  attack  came  on." 


Gone!  277 

''res,  I  believe  I  did." 

"Did  you  do  it  yourself?" 

"Yes — no.  Let  me  see.  Seems  to  me  somebody 
handed  it  to  me,  but  I  don't  remember  who  it  was." 

"I  think  I  can  tell  you." 

"Name  him." 

"Hugh  Bascomb." 

"Right ;  that  was  the  fellow." 

"I  surmised  as  much,  for  Bascomb  does  not  love  you, 
and  I  have  seen  him  talking  with  Gage  several  times 
lately." 

"But,  what  if  he  did  give  me  the  water?  You  don't 
mean  to  say  that  you  think " 

"You  were  drugged — yes." 

A  'hard  look  came  to  Frank's  usually  pleasant  face,  and 
he  said: 

"I  thought  of  that  myself,  but  I  didn't  remember  that 
Bascomb  gave  me  the  dipper  of  water,  and  so  I  put  it 
aside,  and  decided  that  I  had  no  cause  to  suspect  anything 
of  the  sort.  It  doesn't  seem  possible,  but  still " 

"I  am  going  to  find  out,  for  I  have  the  dipper  that  you 
took  the  drink  from,  and  it  seems  to  have  the  remains  of 
a  white  powder  in  the  bottom." 

"You  have  the  dipper — where  ?" 

"In  our  tent.  After  I  helped  you  off  the  diamond, 
you  know  I  left  you  suddenly.  I  went  and  got  the  dip- 
per then,  and  carried  it  to  the  tent,  getting  back  to  the 
ground  before  play  was  called." 

"Good  for  you,  old  man !  If  there  is  the  remnant  of 
&  powder  in  the  bottom  of  that  dipper,  we  will  find  out 
what  kind  of  a  powder  it  is.  If  it  proves  that  I  was 
drugged " 

"What  then?" 


278  Gone! 

"Somebody  shall  suffer !" 

"That's  right,  and  you  don't  want  to  be  too  easy  with 
the  guilty  ones,  Merriwell.  You  are  inclined  to  be  alto- 
gether too  easy.  You  could  have  kept  me  out  of  this 
academy  if  you  had  chosen,  and  it  was  no  more  than  I 
deserved.  The  fellow  who  drugged  you  deserves  ex- 
pulsion, and  he  ought  to  receive  it." 

"He  will  receive  something,  don't  worry,"  assured 
Frank.  "Let's  go  to  the  tent,  and  have  a  look  at  that 
dipper  and  whatever  is  in  the  bottom  of  it." 

Together  they  entered  the  confines  of  the  camp,  and 
proceeded  directly  to  their  tent. 

Hans  Dunnerwust  was  there,  and  he  welcomed  Frank 
joyously. 

"Veil,  uf  I  ain'd  a  sight  for  sore  eyes,  you  vos  a  liar !" 
he  cried,  getting  his  meaning  somewhat  twisted.  "I 
peen  worrying  yourself  sick  since  dot  affair  at  der  pall 
groundt.  Vot  vos  der  madder  mit  you  anyhow,  ain'd  id  ? 
Vos  you  caught  mit  a  cramp  your  headt  in,  ur  someding 
uf  der  sort  ?" 

"I  was  taken  ill." 

"So  vos  I  ven  I  seen  you  go  oudt  uf  der  pox.  Shim- 
miny  Gristmas !  dot  vos  too  pad !  I  don'd  ged  ofer  him 
for  a  veek.  I  pet  me  your  life  you  vos  done  dose  fellers 
ub  uf  you  hat  sdaid  in  der  pox.  Dey  vos  lookin'  sicker 
as  eferyding  w'en  you  vos  daken  off  your  bais  und  pegin 
to  put  der  pall  ofer  der  blate  right  where  dey  vanted  'em. 
Uf  you  don'd  done  dot,  und  you  don't  peen  sick  alretty 
yet,  you  peat  dose  poys  oud  uf  sighd." 

"How  long  have  you  been  here?"  asked  Bart. 

"Shust  come  in." 

"There  was  no  one  around  the  tent  when  you  entered  ?" 

"Nein  " 


Gone!  279 

"Nine  what?" 

"Nottings.    Dot  vos  'no'  in  Sherman." 

"I  didn't  know  you  could  talk  German,"  said  Frank. 
"I  thought  you  were  a  Dutchman." 

"Veil,  some  dings  in  Sherman,  und  some  dings  in 
Dutch  peen  alike,  ain'd  id  ?  Vot  vos  der  madder  mit  you 
alretty  ?  You  don'd  peen  veil  so  queek  as  you  pelief  you 
vos." 

"There's  no  one  around,"  said  Bart.  "We'll  take  a 
look  at  that  dipper  now." 

"That's  right,"  nodded  Frank.  "Bring  it  out.  We'll 
make  Hans  promise  to  keep  still  about  it." 

Bart  advanced  to  his  bed  and  felt  beneath  the  mattress, 
while  Frank  waited  for  him  to  bring  the  dipper  out.  A 
look  of  surprise  came  to  Hodge's  face,  as  he  continued  to 
feel  around  with  his  hand.  Suddenly  he  jumped  up  and 
rolled  the  mattress  back, 


CHAPTER  XLVII. 

BASCOMB    ASSERTS     HIMSELF. 

The  game  of  ball  between  the  regulars  and  the  plebes 
created  no  little  discussion. 

Concerning  Frank  Merriwell,  the  boys  seemed  almost 
equally  divided,  some  believing  he  had  really  been  taken 
ill,  and  some  believing  he  had  feigned  illness  as  an  ex- 
cuse to  get  out  of  the  box  when  he  found  he  was  being 
batted  hard. 

All  who  were  not  prejudiced  admitted  that  he  had 
seemed  to  start  in  to  pitch  a  wonderful  game. 

There  were  a  few  who  held  that  the  regulars  had  been 
fooling  with  him  all  along,  but  they  either  knew  little 
about  baseball,  or  were  down  on  Merriwell  to  such  an  ex- 
tent that  they  eagerly  grasped  at  anything  to  injure  him. 

Hugh  Bascomb  discreetly  kept  silent,  after  having  once 
expressed  an  opinion  that  Merriwell  had  proved  "easy 
fruit"  for  the  regulars,  and  found  that  his  words  were 
causing  him  to  be  regarded  with  keen  attention  and  sus- 
picion by  some  of  Merriwell's  friends. 

Leslie  Gage,  however,  was  very  free  in  expressing  his 
utter  contempt  for  Frank. 

"Babies  can  bat  him  as  soon  as  they  drop  to  his  de- 
livery," asserted  Gage. 

"What  made  you  let  him  get  a  three-bagger  and  a  sin- 
gle off  you  in  three  innings?"  asked  one  who  overheard 
this  remark.  "If  he  can't  pitch,  you'll  have  to  acknowl- 
edge he  can  do  good  stick-work." 

"Oh,  he  got  his  three-bagger  at  the  start  off,  and  I 


Bascomb  Asserts  Himself.          281 

hadn't  got  down  to  work  then ;  but  both  the  three-bagger 
and  the  single  were  accidents." 

"It  looked  to  me  as  if  they  were  accidents  you  could 
not  avert." 

"I  don't  care  what  you  think ;  he  couldn't  do  it  again 
in  a  thousand  years." 

"But  Hodge  kept  up  his  stick-work  all  through  the 
game.  How  about  that  ?" 

"Did  you  fancy  I  was  fool  enough  to  wear  my  arm  out 
on  such  a  game  as  that?  After  we  had  those  fellows 
dead  to  rights,  I  let  up." 

"That  may  be  true,  but  there  is  one  thing  you  cannot 
possibly  deny.  'Hodge  showed  himself  a  first-class 
catcher." 

In  his  heart  Gage  knew  this  well,  and  had  he  not  dis- 
liked Hodge  so  thoroughly,  and  had  not  Hodge  and  Mer- 
riwell  been  such  close  friends,  he  would  have  acknowl- 
edged it.  To  himself  he  had  acknowledged  Hodge  was 
far  superior  to  Harris.  It  would  be  to  his  advantage  to 
pitch  to  the  better  catcher,  and  he  knew  it,  but  his  hatred 
for  Bart  kept  him  from  saying  so. 

"He  did  very  well  with  the  pitchers  he  had  to  hold," 
Gage  said,  loftily,  "but  you  must  remember,  my  dear  boy, 
that  there  is  a  great  deal  of  difference  in  pitching.  An 
ordinary  pitcher  sends  in  an  easy  ball  for  the  catcher — 
one  that  is  not  rotating  swiftly ;  a  good  pitcher  sends  in 
a  ball  that  is  whirling  with  amazing  swiftness — a  ball  that 
glances  from  a  bat,  making  pop  flies,  fouls,  and  scratch 
hits.  Such  a  ball  is  ugly  to  hold,  for  it  tries  to  twist  out 
of  the  catcher's  glove  after  he  seems  to  have  it  fairly 
smothered.  If  Hodge  had  been  back-stopping  for  some 
pitchers,  he  would  not  have  shown  tip  so  well." 
"But  his  throwing — that  is  certainly  great." 


282          Bascomb  Asserts  Himself. 

"It  is  good,"  confessed  Leslie,  "but  he  might  not  do 
as  well  another  time.  You  cannot  judge  a  man's  throw- 
ing by  a  single  game  of  ball." 

Sentiment,  however,  was  strongly  in  favor  of  giving 
Hodge  a  trial  on  the  regular  team.  If  Bart  had  been  at 
all  popular,  very  few  would  have  opposed  him,  but  his 
quick  temper  and  haughty  ways  had  made  him  anything 
but  a  favorite  among  his  cadet  companions. 

Although  they  endeavored  not  to  betray  the  fact,  both 
Bascomb  and  Gage  were  greatly  worried.  Hodge's  dec- 
laration that  he  had  taken  a  drink  just  before  going  into 
the  box  the  last  time,  and  that  there  appeared  to  be  rem- 
nants of  a  white  powder  in  the  bottom  of  the  dipper  was 
enough  to  put  them  on  the  anxious  seat. 

They  knew  nothing,  as  yet,  of  the  disappearance  of  the 
dipper  from  the  place  where  Hodge  had  concealed  it. 

Leslie  tried  to  induce  Bascomb  to  make  a  trade  with 
Hodge  for  the  dipper. 

"You  do  the  business,"  he  said,  "and  I  will  furnish  the 
scads.  Buy  the  thing  at  some  price.  Offer  him  fifty  dol- 
lars for  it." 

"And  I  don't  suppose  you  intend  to  show  vour  hand  in 
the  matter  at  all  ?"  questioned  Bascomb. 

"Why  should  I  ?    You  gave  Merriwell  the  drug." 

"And  you  gave  it  to  me." 

"Nobody  knows  that.  Go  ahead,  Bascomb,  and  get 
that  dipper  some  way.  I'll  make  the  governor  cough  up 
a  hundred  dollars,  and  you  shall  be  well  paid  for  getting 
the  dipper  and  turning  it  over  to  me." 

"You  might  pay  me  in  money,  and  I  might  be  expelled 
from  Fardale.  Oh,  no,  Gage;  I  am  not  going  to  play 
tool  for  you  any  more.  I  want  to  get  hold  of  that  dipper 
as  much  as  A^ou  do.  but  I'll  never  sav  a  word  to  Hodee. 


Bascomb  Asserts  Himself.  283 

unless  you  tackle  him  with  me.  We  are  both  in  this,  and 
you  must  face  the  music,  as  well  as  I." 

Leslie  restrained  his  rage  with  a  great  effort. 

"You're  a  bull-headed  fellow,  Bascomb,"  he  said.  "I 
didn't  give  Merriwell  the  drink,  and  everybody  knows  I 
had  no  opportunity  to  do  so.  I  shall  swear  I  had  nothing 
whatever  to  do  with  it,  in  case  I  am  rung  into  the  affair, 
and  you  will  have  to  paddle  your  own  canoe." 

"If  I  am  exposed,  I  will  own  up  to  the  whole  truth,  and 
you  shall  not  escape." 

Gage  snapped  his  fingers. 

"That  for  your  threat !"  he  said.  "Who  stands  the  best 
in  this  school,  you,  who  were  known  by  several  to  be  the 
leader  in  the  affair  for  which  Phil  Haskins  would  have 
been  expelled  if  he  had  not  taken  himself  out  of  the 
academy,  or  I,  who  -have  been  here  somewhat  longer  than 
you,  and  have  obtained  a  grip.  My  dear  boy,  if  you  blow 
on  me,  I  will  simply  say  that  it  is  a  case  of  spite — that, 
knowing  Merriwell  and  I  are  not  friends,  you  have  tried 
to  injure  me.  Nothing  can  be  proved  against  me,  and 
there  you  are.  You  will  be  expelled,  and  I'll  stay." 

As  Bascomb  listened  to  these  cool  words  from  his 
leader  in  wrong-doing,  his  face  became  drawn  with  rage, 
and  a  terrible  look  settled  in  his  eyes.  The  cords  on  his 
thick  neck  stood  out  strongly,  as  if  he  were  under  a  se- 
vere strain. 

"So  that's  the  way  you'll  work  it,  eh  ?"  he  said,  hoarsely. 
"Well,  let  me  tell  you  how  I'll  serve  you.  If  I  am  ex- 
pelled from  this  school,  and  you  are  not  served  the  same, 
I'll  lay  for  you  till  I  catch  you,  and  then  I'll  hammer  you 
till  you  are  so  near  dead  that  it  will  be  hard  to  tell 
whether  you  have  the  breath  of  life  in  your  body  or  not 
That's  what  I  will  do  to  you,  my  friend !" 


284          Bascomb  Asserts  Himself. 

Gage  fell  back,  fear  and  rage  showing  on  his  face. 

"Why,  you  big  brute!"  he  cried.  "You  wouldn't  dare 
do  such  a  thing!" 

"Wouldn't  I !  You  may  find  out  differently,  if  occa- 
sion arises.  And  now  I  want  to  say  right  here  that  I  do 
not  fancy  being  called  a  big  brute.  If  you  ever  do  so 
again,  I  will  give  you  a  good  thumping  anyway." 

It  was  plain  that  he  meant  it,  and  Leslie  began  to  realize 
that  he  had  formed  an  alliance  with  a  fellow  who  might 
become  exceedingly  troublesome.  He  did  not  relish 
being  talked  to  in  such  a  manner,  but  he  plainly  saw  it 
would  not  do  to  arouse  Bascomb  still  more,  and  so  he 
tried  to  soothe  the  fellow  down. 

"Come,  come !"  he  said ;  "we  are  fools  to  quarrel.  We 
can't  afford  to  do  so." 

"That's  right,"  nodded  the  big  plebe,  "and  I  am  glad 
you  realize  it." 

"I  don't  believe  this  business  will  be  carried  so  far  that 
either  of  us  will  be  in  danger  of  expulsion." 

"I  don't  think  it  is  best  to  have  it  carried  that  far." 

"How  can  we  prevent  it?" 

"By  getting  hold  of  that  dipper,  and  making  Hodge 
promise  to  keep  still." 

"Well,  go  ahead  with  the  scheme." 

"You  must  help  me." 

"How?" 

"You  proposed  that  the  dipper  be  bought  of  Hodge, 
and  that  I  do  the  buying.  Now,  I  will  tell  you  what  we'll 
do.  We  will  both  go  to  Hodge,  and  try  to  get  hold  of 
the  dipper  some  way." 

"I  won't  do  it." 

"Yes,  you  will !"  declared  Bascomb,  his  manner  grow- 
ing dangerous  and  menacing.  "If  you  refuse,  I  swear  I 


Bascomb  Asserts  Himself.          285 

will  give  you  a  thumping  now,  and  111  tell  why  I  was 
doing  it,  if  you  shout  for  help  and  call  any  one  up.  That 
is  business,  and  I  mean  it/' 

It  was  useless  for  Leslie  to  bluster  or  beg.  Bascomb 
was  inexorable.  The  sycophant  was  a  sycophant  no  lon- 
ger ;  he  was  master  of  the  situation. 


CHAPTER  XLVIII. 

THE    SHADOW     IN    A    HEART. 

And  so  it  came  about  that  Bascomb  and  Gage  followed 
Hodge  about  that  evening,  and  finally  caught  him  beyond 
the  limits  of  the  camp. 

Hodge  faced  them  quickly,  'demanding  to  know  what 
they  wanted.  He  was  suspicious,  and  he  did  not  fancy 
being  dogged  about. 

"We  want  to  see  you  on  important  business,"  said  Bas- 
comb, hoarsely.  "Is  that  right,  Gage  ?" 

"That's  right,"  admitted  Leslie,  feebly. 

"Name  your  business,"  directed  Bart,  still  suspicious.    • 

"It's  about — er — that— er — dipper,"  said  the  big  plebe, 
falteringly.  "Isn't  it,  Gag«?" 

"Yes,"  confessed  Gage,  reluctantly. 

Bart  was  interested  immediately,  but  he  held  himself 
in  check. 

"What  about  it?"  he  asked,  with  apparent  indifference. 

"Well,  we  didn't  know  but — but  we  could  make  some 
kind  of  a  trade  with  you,"  blurted  Bascomb.  "You  and 
I  have  been  friends  in  the  past,  you  know,  and  we  have 
done  some  things  we  would  not  brag  about.  Now,  I 
don't  believe  you  are  the  kind  of  a  fellow  to  do  an  old 
friend  dirty  when  he  is  in  trouble.  If  we  have  harmed 
Merriwell,  we  are  sorry  for  it.  Eh,  Gage?" 

"That's  right,"  said  Gage,  thickly. 

"And  we  are  willing  to  pay  you  well  to  give  up  that 
dipper  just  as  you  found  it." 

Hodge  was  not  a  little  surprised,  for  he  had  supposed 


The  Shadow  in  a  Heart.  287 

tnat,  since  the  dipper's  disappearance,  it  had  fallen  into 
the  hands  of  Gage ;  but  now  it  seemed  that  nothing  of  the 
kind  had  happened,  and  Bart  wondered  what  could  have 
become  of  the  dipper. 

"You  are  ready  to  buy  it  of  me  ?"  he  asked. 

"Yes." 

"Then  it  is  of  value  to  you  ?" 

"Possibly." 

"It  must  be,  and  this  is  as  good  as  a  confession  that 
Merriwell  was  actually  drugged,  and  that  you  two  fel- 
lows had  a  hand  in  drugging  him." 

"Never  mind  about  that,"  put  in  Gage,  with  an  attempt 
to  appear  superior.  "All  we  want  of  you  is  the  dipper." 

"Well,  you  will  not  get  it." 

"We'll,  pay  you  for  it,"  Gage  hastened  to  say,  growing 
humble  instantly.  "We'll  pay  you  well." 

"That  doesn't  make  any  difference." 

"You  won't  give  it  up?" 

"I  can't." 

"Can't  ?    What  do  you  mean  by  that?" 

"It  has  already  passed  out  of  my  hands." 

"Who  has  it— Merriwell?" 

"No." 

"Then  you  have  given  it  to  Old  Gunn !" 

Hodge  said  nothing  in  reply  to  this.  He  was  willing 
for  them  to  think  he  had  surrendered  the  dipper  to  the 
head  professor. 

Bascomb  grew  furious. 

"That  was  a  dirty  trick  to  play  on  an  old  friend, 
Hodge !"  he  cried.  "You  have  done  things  in  the  past 
worse  than  giving  a  little  harmless  powder  to  a  fellow. 
I  could  have  turned  you  down  long  ago,  if  I  had  been 
mean  enough." 


288  The  Shadow  in  a  Heart 

"How  did  I  know  you  gave  it  to  Merriwell?"  asked 
Bart.  "I  fancied  Gage  was  the  one  who " 

"Gage  produced  the  pow " 

"Stop!"  gasped. Leslie.     "Be  careful  what  you  say!" 

"Oh,  what's  the  use !  Hodge  is  the  only  one  who  can 
hear  us,  and  we'll  swear  we  never  said  a  thing,  if  he  re- 
ports -it.  He  knows,  and  we  can't  fool  him,,  but  we  can 
thump  him,  and  I  propose  to  do  it  right  now." 

He  took  a  step  toward  Bart,  as  if  he  would  strike  the 
dark-haired  boy ;  but,  at  this  moment,  another  figure  ad- 
vanced out  of  the  darkness,  and  the  cool  voice  of  Frank 
Merriwell  was  heard  to  say : 

"Don't  do  it!  You  may  get  hurt  if  you  do.  I  hap- 
pened to  be  near  enough  to  hear  all  that  passed  between 
you  three,  and  so  I  know  now  that  I  was  drugged,  as  I 
suspected  before.  I  also  know  that  Mr.  Leslie  Gage  was 
at  the  bottom  of  the  dirty  trick,  and  I  will  lick  him  at  any 
time  or  place  he  sees  fit  to  meet  me." 

"But — but,  if  I  refuse " 

"You  can't.  If  you  do,  I  will  slap  your  face  in  the 
presence  of  your  friends,  and  brand  you  as  a  sneak  and 
a  coward." 

Frank  was  terribly  angry,  as  his  voice  betrayed.  It 
was  a  singular  thing  for  Frank  Merriwell  to  betray  such 
feelings,  but  the  outrage  he  had  endured  had  aroused  him 
thoroughly. 

"All  right/'  said  Gage,  recovering;  "I  will  fight  you. 
But  I  must  be  given  a  little  time.  A  friend  of  mine  will 
see  you  later." 

"Why  not  arrange  it  right  here  ?  I  have  a  friend  pres- 
ent, and  so  have  you.  It  will  take  but  a  few  seconds  to 
settle  it." 

This,  however,  did  not  suit  Leslie  at  all.    He  did  not 


The  Shadow  in  a  Heart.  289 

wish  to  be  represented  in  a  fight  by  such  a  fellow  as  Bas- 
comb,  and  he  did  not  want  Bascomb  to  think  that  he  ob- 
jected to  having  him  for  a  second,  for  the  big  plebe  had 
an  ugly  temper,  and  he  would  be  sure  to  "cut  up." 

Gage  was  desperate,  for  he  saw  that  he  had  fallen  into 
a  bad  trap.  He  had  sworn  to  keep  Merriwell  off  the  ball 
team  by  fair  means  or  foul,  and  the  foul  means  he  had 
resorted  to  had  placed  him  in  an  ugly  predicament. 

Still  Gage  was  not  sorry.  He  hated  Merriwell  too 
much  to  regret  anything.  Now  that  he  was  being 
crowded  to  the  wall,  he  felt  that  he  could  kill  Merriwell 
without  afterward  feeling  a  pang  of  remorse. 

He  did  not  want  to  fight  Frank  with  his  fists,  for  he 
had  seen  Merriwell  fight  long  before,  and  the  plebe  was 
a  hard  customer.  Gage  did  not  fancy  being  hammered. 

But  how  could  he  escape?  If  he  refused  to  fight,  Mer- 
riwell would  insult  him  publicly.  There  seemed  no  way 
out  of  the  corner  into  which  he  had  been  forced. 

"I'll  have  to  meet  him,"  thought  Gage ;  "and  I  will  do 
him  up  some  way !" 

So  he  got  away  as  best  he  could,  promising  to  send  a 
friend  to  meet  Hodge  and  make  arrangements  for  the 
fight. 

As  Merriwell  and  Hodge  sauntered  away,  the  latter 
said: 

"You  must  thump  the  face  off  that  fellow,  Frank,  and 
then  you  ought  to  expose  him  to  all  the  fellows  present — 
tell  them  just  what  he  has  done.  We've  lost  the  dipper, 
it  is  true ;  but  they  do  not  know  it,  and  their  attempt  to 
buy  it  from  me  was  a  dead  give-away." 

"I  think  it  will  be  punishment  enough  to  force  Gage  to 
give  up  his  position  on  the  ball  team — to  beat  him.  out 


290          The  Shadow  in  a  Heart. 

fairly,  and  that  I  mean  to  do,  if  possible,  if  we  are  given 
one  more  day's  practice  with  the  regulars." 

"Well,"  cried  Hodge,  "your  ideas  of  getting  square 
with  a  fellow  are  queer !  That's  all  I  have  to  say." 

Frank  waited  in  vain  for  Gage's  friend  to  appear  and 
make  arrangements  for  the  fight. 

Still,  Gage  knew  he  could  not  get  out  of  meeting  Mer- 
riwell  in  some  manner ;  but  he  had  a  scheme  in  his  head. 
Since  coming  to  the  academy,  Frank  had  taken  up  fenc- 
ing, and  he  was  following  it  assiduously,  under  the  in- 
structions  of  the  regular  fencing-master. 

It  happened  that  fencing  was  one  of  Gage's  hobbies, 
and  he  was  believed  to  be  the  match  of  any  one  in  the 
school. 

Believing  Frank  would  be  more  than  his  match  in  a 
fist  fight,  and  still  hating  him  so  intensely  that  he  longed 
to  do  him  some  deep  injury,  Gage  prepared  to  carry  out 
a  plot  that  ihe  should  have  foreseen  would  rebound  dis- 
astrously on  his  own  head. 

But  Gage  was  so  blinded  by  his  rage  and  his  hatred 
of  Merriwell  that  he  did  not  consider  the  possibilities  of 
exposure  in  anything  but  the  drugging  affair. 

It  was  on  Monday  afternoon  that  he  saw  Frank  making 
for  the  gymnasium,  where  he  took  his  fencing  lessons 
regularly. 

"Now's  my  time,"  thought  Leslie,  and  he  followed. 
"I'll  fix  him  so  he  will  no  longer  be  a  possible  rival  for 
my  position  on  the  ball  team." 

In  the  black  shadow  of  (his  heart  lurked  a  horrible, 
nameless  thing  that  might  soon  be  christened  murder  I 


CHAPTER  XLIX. 


When  Gage  entered  the  gymnasium,  he  found  Frank 
Merriwell  preparing  for  a  bout  with  Professor  Rhynas, 
the  instructor  in  athletics  and  fencing. 

Leslie  kept  in  the  background  till  the  lesson  was  fairly 
under  way.  Then  he  came  forward  and  pretended  to 
watch  with  interest,  wearing  a  sneer  on  his  face.  Once 
or  twice  he  laughed  at  Frank's  execution  of  some  par- 
ticular stroke. 

The  professor  gave  a  sharp  look  that  was  a  warning, 
and  Leslie  remained  silent  till  the  final  bout,  when,  in- 
stead of  practicing  certain  moves,  Merriwell  was  allowed 
to  do  his  best  to  count  on  the  instructor. 

Then  Leslie's  sneers  were  more  than  ever  apparent, 
and,  at  the  conclusion,  he  said  : 

"You  may  be  pretty  smart  at  some  things,  Merriwell, 
but  you'll  never  make  a  fencer.  You  are  too  bungling." 

Professor  Rhynas  whirled  on  the  speaker. 

"I  fancy  you  would  find  Mr.  Merriwell  quite  a  match 
for  you,  Mr.  Gage,"  he  said. 

"Well,  I  wouldn't  mind  having  a  go  with  him." 

"I  do  not  care  to  meet  you  till  another  matter  is  set- 
tled," said  Frank,  quietly. 

"I  knew  it!"  cried  Gage,  scornfully.  "You  do  not 
dare!" 

"You  will  find  me  ready,  when  we  have  met  in  a  differ. 
ent  way,  sir." 

"That's  all  right,  Merriwell;  you  play  the  bully  first- 


292  Foiled. 

rate.  I  am  no  prize-fighter,  but  I  am  more  than  your 
match  with  the  foils,  as  I  would  quickly  show,  if  you  had 
the  nerve  to  meet  me." 

This  was  too  much  for  Frank  Merriwell,  and  he  im- 
mediately said: 

"Very  well,  sir ;  if  you  are  so  confident  and  insistent,  I 
will  meet  you.  But  this  affair  shall  not  interfere  in  any 
way  with  the  other." 

"Oh,  of  course  not,"  said  Gage,  aloud.  But  to  himself 
he  thought : 

"I  rather  fancy  it  will  interfere  with  the  other  affair. 
I'll  fix  you  so  you  will  not  be  able  to  meet  me  or  play  ball 
for  some  weeks  to  come." 

Then  he  hastened  to  don  mask,  breastplate  and  gaunt- 
let, after  which  he  walked  to  the  rack  and,  apparently, 
selected  the  first  foil  his  eye  fell  upon. 
'  Ready  for  the  contest,  Frank  was  quietly  waiting  to 
meet  his  enemy. 

Professor  Rhynas  seemed  to  scent  something  serious 
behind  what  was  taking  place.  He  had  removed  his 
mask,  but  stood  with  his  foil  in  hand,  ready  to  see  that 
everything  went  off  properly. 

The  lads  faced  each  other. 

"Gentlemen,  salute,"  directed  the  professor. 

Both  made  the  salute,  easily  and  gracefully. 

"On  guard,  gentlemen." 

Standing  erect,  with  their  right  sides  forward,  heels 
touching  and  toes  turned  out,  they  extended  the  foils  for 
the  first  movement,  and  then  fell  into  the  proper  position 
for  fencing. 

"Fence." 

The  foils  came  together  .with  a  click  that  was  followed 


Foiled.  293 

by  a  metallic  gliding  hiss,  and  the  contest  was  fairly 
•begun. 

Before  half  a  dozen  movements  had  been  made,  Gage 
began  to  press  Merriwell.  He  fought  with  a  savage 
fierceness,  as  if  the  contest  was  for  life  or  death,  and 
there  was  a  terrible  expression  in  his  eyes. 

"Jove !"  thought  Frank.  "He  looks  as  if  he  longed  to 
run  me  through  the  body !  And  he  acts  as  if  he  intends 
to  do  so,"  was  his  additional  thought,  as  Gage  drove  ITmi 
back. 

For  a  little  Gage  baffled  himself,  or  seemed  to  do  so,  by 
his  fierceness,  for  Merriwell  counted  three  times  swiftly, 
and  each  count  was  promptly  acknowledged. 

But  that  was  of  little  consequence  to  Leslie  Gage.  He 
was  not  fencing  for  points. 

He  was  after  blood ! 

Lunge,  parry,  feint,  thrust,  riposte,  advance,  retreat — 
all  this  came  about  with  a  swiftness  that  would  have  been 
bewildering  to  any  one  who  was  not  something  of  an  ex- 
pert at  fencing. 

The  sharp  eyes  of  Professor  Rhynas  followed  every 
move.  More  than  ever  was  he  convinced  that  there  was 
something  serious  behind  this  affair. 

He  was  tempted  to  interfere,  but  it  was  so  much  like 
a  real  duel  that  he  remained  silent  and  fascinated,  yet  on 
the  alert. 

Suddenly  a  faint  sound  came  from  Gage's  lips.  It  was 
like  a  muttered  exclamation  of  exultation.  Then  he  drove 
,Frank  back  with  the  fierceness  of  an  uncaged  tiger,  lit- 
erally beating  down  his  guard. 

When  it  was  too  late  to  save  himself,  Frank  made  a 
•tartling  discovery. 


294  Foiled. 

The  button  was  gone  from  the  point  of  Leslie's  foil, 
and  the  point  seemed  to  have  been  sharpened ! 

With  this  deadly  weapon,  having  made  a  good  open- 
ing, Gage  lunged  with  all  his  strength  at  Merriwell's 
breast ! 

The  passion  of  murder  had  seized  upon  Leslie  Gage, 
for  the  weapon  was  certainly  sharp  enough  to  pierce  the 
breastplate  and  Frank  Merriwell's  body. 

Frank  gave  a  cry  of  mingled  anger  and  horror,  but  fie 
could  not  escape  by  any  act  of  his  own. 

But  Professor  Rhynas  had  discovered  that  the  button 
was  gone,  and  he  lost  no  time  in  taking  a  hand. 

He  was  barely  soon  enough  to  turn  aside  Leslie's  mur- 
derous thrust.  Then  his  foil  seemed  to  curl  around  that 
held  by  the  lad,  and,  with  a  twisting  movement  of  his 
wrist,  he  tore  it  from  the  mad  boy's  hand,  tossed  it  into 
the  air,  and  caught  it  as  it  came  down. 

"What's  this?"  he  cried,  in  astonishment,  as  he  exam- 
ined the  point.  "The  button  is  gone !  The  foil  has  been 
ground  down!  Why,  you  would  have  run  Merriwell 
through  the  body  with  that  lunge !  There  is  something 
crooked  here!" 

Gage  turned  pale,  but  it  was  from  rage  at  having  his 
desperate  plot  defeated,  and  not  from  fear. 

"What's  that?"  he  asked,  innocently.  "The  button 
gone  ?  How  did  that  happen  ?" 

"That's  what  I  want  to  know,"  said  the  professor, 
gazing  suspiciously  at  Leslie.  "This  did  not  happen  by 
accident,  sir." 

"I  should  say  not,"  admitted  Gage,  coolly.  "Why,  that 
foil  must  have  been  fixed  in  that  way  by  somebody/' 

"It  was;  and  what  I  want  to  know  is,  who  fixed  it? 
When  I  find  out,  that  person  is  pretty  sure  to  get  fixed." 


Foiled.  295 

"Why,  it  is  not  my  regular  foil,  anyway,"  said  Leslie, 
in  apparent  surprise.  "See— here  is  a  mark  that  is  like 
mine,  but  it  is  not  the  one  I  always  use  in  taking  my 
lessons.  Somebody  has  played  a  trick  on  me !" 

He  rushed  to  the  rack,  and  quickly  turned  about,  with 
another  foil  in  his  hand. 

"Here  is  mine !"  he  cried,  returning  to  the  professor's 
side.  "See  this — it  is  my  mark.  Some  one  marked  the 
other  one  the  same,  and  they  must  have  fixed  it  that  way. 
It  was  done  to  get  me  into  trouble — I  know  it!  I  de- 
mand an  investigation.  The  fellow  who  did  this  job 
should  be  punished." 

"He  shall  be  if  he  is  discovered,"  assured  the  pro- 
fessor; but  he  still  regarded  Gage  suspiciously.  "Rest 
assured  that  the  matter  shall  be  investigated,  sir." 

Frank  had  said  nothing  up  to  this  point,  but  he  had 
been  listening  and  watching  his  foe,  a  hard  look  on  his 
face.  He  now  observed : 

"That  was  a  close  call  for  me.  I  have  to  thank  you  for 
my  life,  professor.  I  owe  you  that,  but  I  owe  Mr.  Gage 
more,  and  I  mean  to  square  the  larger  debt  first!" 

Leslie  tossed  back  his  head. 

"If  you  mean  to  insinuate "  he  began, 

"I  shall  make  no  insinuations  without  proof,"  said 
Merriwell,  calmly.  "But  when  I  have  proof,  somebody 
shall  be  called  to  account." 

Then  he  put  aside  his  mask  and  foil,  removed  his 
breastplate  and  gauntlet,  and  left  the  gymnasium. 

A  few  minutes  later  Leslie  followed.  His  face  was 
now  very  white,  but  his  eyes  still  burned,  and  he  mut- 
tered: 


296  Foiled. 

"Such  beastly  luck !  But  they  can  never  prove  I  tam- 
pered with  the  foil,  for  I  did  that  in  the  dead  of  the  night, 
when  nobody  was  watching.  I  had  my  trouble  for  noth- 
ing. Merriwell  escaped  this  time,  but  I  am  bound  to  get 
the  best  of  him  in  the  end — by  fair  means  or  foul !" 


CHAPTER  3 

OVER     BLACK 


Hugh  Bascomb  met  Gage  as  the  latter  was  coming 
from  the  gymnasium.  Making  sure  that  no  one  was  with- 
in hearing,  Bascomb  said: 

"I  have  the  dipper." 

Gage  gave  an  exclamation  of  satisfaction. 

"Where  did  you  get  hold  of  it  ?"  he  asked. 

"Oh,  Furbush,  the  drum-boy  orderly,  saw  Hodge  se- 
cure it,  followed  him  to  his  tent,  and  saw  him  hide  it 
under  the  mattress.  When  Hodge  left,  Furbusfi  se- 
cured it." 

"Where  is  it  now?" 

"Safe." 

"I  want  it." 

"Well,  you  may  have  it;  but  it  will  cost  you  some- 
thing." 

"I'll  pay  for  it,  as  I  said." 

"But  it'll  cost  you  more  than  the  sum  you  named. 
You've  got  to  come  down  handsomely." 

Instantly  Gage  fired  up. 

"So  you  mean  to  bleed  me,  do  you?  Well,  I  refuse  to 
be  bled.  Now  that  you  have  tried  the  trick,  I  refuse  to 
pay  a  cent  for  it.  You  are  in  the  same  boat  with  me,  and 
if  one  gets  into  trouble,  the  other  must  You  may  do 
what  you  like  with  the  dipper." 

"You  can't  mean  that?  What  if  Old  Gunn  or  Lieu- 
tenant Gordan  gets  hold  of  that  dipper?" 

"We  may  both  be  expelled;  but  you'll  have  to  go  if  I 


298  Over  Black  Bluff. 

do.  You  have  attempted  to  bully  me  lately,  Bascomb, 
and  I  won't  have  it.  You  will  find  you  have  carried  the 
matter  altogether  too  far." 

"Do  you  defy  me?" 

"Yes." 

"I'll  make  you  sorry!" 

"Go  ahead.  That's  as  much  as  I  care  for  you !"  And 
Leslie  snapped  his  fingers  in  the  big  plebe's  face. 

Bascomb  was  furious,  but  he  dared  do  nothing  then 
and  there,  so  he  could  only  glare  after  Gage  and  mutter, 
as  Leslie  walked  haughtily  away. 

When  Frank  told  his  tent-mates  of  the  little  affair  at 
the  gymnasium,  they  became  thoroughly  enraged. 

"If  you  let  that  fellow  off  without  pushing  him  to  thq' 
wall,  you  are  foolish,  Merriwell,"  cried  Hodge. 

"Thot's  roight,  me  b'y,"  said  Barney  Mulloy.  "Thlj 
spalpane  ought  to  be  hung,  so  he  had !" 

"Dot  hanging  don'd  peen  too  goot  for  him !"  exclaimed 
Hans.  "He  ought  to  peen  purned  at  der  sdake !" 

"I  don't  believe  he  means  to  fight  me,"  said  Frank.l 
"I  am  going  to  wait  a  little  while  longer,  and  then  I'll 
make  another  move." 

"Oi'd  nivver  foight  wid  th'  loikes  av  him.  He'd  wear 
brass  knuckles,  ur  have  a  knoife  in  his  slave." 

"It  is  not  necessary  for  you  to  fight  him,"  said  Bart. 
"The  code  of  honor  here  will  not  require  yon  to  fight 
any  one  but  a  gentleman,  and  I  am  sure  Gage  does  not 
come  under  that  class." 

"Well,"  smiled  Frank,  "we'll  wait  a  while  and  see 
what  we'll  see." 

Merriwell  did  not  know  that  Gage  was  watching  him 
constantly,  as  a  cat  watches  a  mouse  it  intends  to  de- 
your. 


Over  Black  Bluff.  299 

On  the  day  following  the  bout  in  the  gymnasium, 
Frank  obtained  permission  to  leave  camp.  He  proceeded 
to  the  old  boathouse,  where  so  many  fights  had  taken 
place  and  so  many  plebes  had  been  hazed,  and  there  he 
secured  a  coil  of  rope.  With  this  he  made  his  way  down 
the  shore  for  a  distance  of  more  than  a  mile. 

He  finally  came  to  a  wild  and  rugged  spot,  where  high 
cliffs  rose  directly  from  the  water's  edge  at  the  lowest 
tides. 

Frank  made  his  way  to  the  .highest  cliff  of  all,  which 
was  known  as  Black  Bluff. 

Half  way  down  the  face  of  Black  Bluff  was  a  rocky 
shelf,  and  on  this  shelf  an  eagle  had  made  her  nest. 

Frank  had  discovered  the  nest  of  young  eagles,  and 
resolved  to  secure  one  of  them  to  send  to  a  boy  friend  at 
home. 

He  made  one  end  of  the  rope  fast  to  a  tree  that  stood 
back  a  few  yards  from  the  edge  of  the  bluff,  and  let  the 
other  end  fall  over. 

It  uncoiled  and  reached  the  ledge. 

Next,  Frank  removed  his  coat  and  placed  it  under  the 
rope  at  the  edge  of  the  cliff,  so  the  rock  would  not  wear 
it  off. 

Having  made  these  preparations,  he  swung  over  the 
edge,  and  began  the  descent. 

Far  below  the  sea  was  rolling  and  roaring  up  against 
the  base  of  the  bluff,  but  he  did  not  pause  to  look  down 
there. 

The  eagle  left  her  nest,  and  began  to  circle  about, 
screaming  her  alarm. 

Frank  was  about  half  way  to  the  ledge,  when  he  heard 
a  shout  from  above.  Looking  upward,  he  was  astonished 


300  Over  Black  Bluff. 

to  see  the  face  of  Leslie  Gage,  who  was  peering  down  at 
him. 

There  was  a  fierce  look  of  triumph  on  that  face — a 
look  that  turned  cold  the  blood  of  the  boy  who  was 
dangling  by  that  slender  line  against  the  face  of  Black 
Bluff. 

"I  have  you  now,  Merriwell !"  cried  Gage,  hoarsely  and 
triumphantly.  "You'll  never  bother  me  after  to-day !" 

Then  he  held  out  his  hand,  and  Frank  saw  it  con- 
tained an  open  knife. 

At  that  moment  Frank  Merriwell  was  numb  with 
horror,  for  he  fully  understood  his  enemy's  murderous 
purpose. 

Gage  meant  to  cut  the  rope ! 

"It's  quite  a  little  drop  down  there,"  mocked  the  young 
villain  above,  "and  I  think  it  will  fix  you  all  right.  I 
swore  to  get  you  out  of  my  way  by  fair  means  or  foul, 
and  I  am  going  to  keep  my  word  now." 

Then  he  started  to  cut  the  rope.  To  do  so,  he  leaned  a 
little  farther  over  the  edge,  lost  his  balance,  uttered  a 
«hriek  of  horror,  and  fell. 

Clinging  to  the  rope,  Frank  saw  the  dark  form  of  his 
enemy  shoot  past  and  go  whirling  downward. 

lit  seemed  that  he  had  been  saved  by  the  hand  of 
Providence. 

Gage  struck  on  the  ledge,  and  lay  there,  motionless, 
one  leg  hanging  over  the  edge,  his  white  face  upturned  to 
the  sky. 

"It  is  retribution !"  thought  Frank  Merriwell. 

•For  some  moments  he  was  too  unnerved  to  do  any- 
thing but  cling  to  the  rope.  Finally,  he  recovered  and 
continued  the  descent  till  the  ledge  was  reached. 

Gage  lay  there,  white  and  ghastly,  apparently  dead. 


Over  Black  Bluff.  301 

Shuddering  with  horror,  Frank  drew  'his  foe  back  from 
the  brink,  and  then,  unmindful  of  the  screaming  eagles 
and  the  young  eaglets,  proceeded  to  tie  one  end  of  the 
rope  securely  about  Gage's  waist. 

When  this  was  done,  Frank  summoned  all  his  strength 
and  determination,  and  climbed  to  the  top  of  the  bluff,, 
where  he  rested  a  few  minutes,  and  then  drew  Gage  up. 

From  that  spot  he  succeeded  in  carrying  his  uncon- 
scious foe  back  to  the  camp,  although  he  was  forced  to 
rest  many  times  in  doing  so. 

Astonishing,  and  almost  impossible  though  it  seemed  to 
Frank,  Gage  was  not  dead,  although  the  doctor  said  he 
might  be  injured  internally,  so  that  he  would  not  re- 
cover from  the  fall. 

But  the  fellow  was  not  even  injured  that  much,  al- 
though he  was  confined  to  the  hospital  for  two  weeks. 
It  was  one  of  those  peculiar  instances  where  a  terrible 
fall  is  sustained  without  resulting  fatally,  or  even  break- 
ing a  bone. 

But  Leslie  was  in  no  condition  to  play  ball  when  the 
day  came  for  the  game  with  Eaton. 

Frank  Merriwell  filled  Leslie's  place,  and  Bartley 
Hodge  supported  him,  behind  the  bat. 

The  game  resulted  in  a  score  of  nine  to  three,  in  favor 
of  Fardale,  and,  when  the  game  was  finished,  every  one 
but  the  "sore-heads"  acknowledged  that  Fardale's  battery 
was  the  best  the  academy  had  ever  put  into  the  field. 

Burrage  had  captained  the  team  through  this  game,' 
but  he  immediately  resigned  in  favor  of  Merriwell,  who 
was  accepted  by  acclamation. 

"Phwat  are  ye  goin'  to  do  wid  Gage  whin  he's  well?" 
asked  Barney. 

"Vot  vos  dot  ?"  put  in  Hans.    "Vy,  he  shoost  make  for 


302  Over  the  Black  Bluff. 

him  won  lofely  fight  pefore  soon  and  his  face  break,  aind 
it?" 

"No,  no,"  said  Frank,  laughingly.  "Gage  has  been 
punished  enough.  The  score  is  settled.  We  will  forget 
the  foil  business  and  all  the  other  villainous  things,  and 
let  him  try  to  regain  his  prestige." 

"Vich  same  he  nefer  vill  already,"  said  Hans,  excitedly. 

"Not  while  Oi'm  aloive!"  cried  Barney,  putting  up  a 
brawny  fist. 

"Come,"  said  Frank,  "not  one  of  us  would  hit  a  man 
when  he's  down.  Gage  is  down  in  more  senses  than  one, 
and  I  guess,  Hans,  you're  right  when  you  say  his  prestige 
is  forever  lost.  But  let's  agree  to  treat  the  fellow  de- 
cently, and  not  harbor  enmity  against  him." 

Hans  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"Veil,"  he  said,  only  half  satisfied,  "vot  you  say, 
Frankie,  it  vas  as  good  as  done." 

"And  \ou,  Barney?" 

"Me  b'y,  Oi  am  wid  ye  ivviry  toime !" 

"Hurrah!"  cried  Frank,  delightedly;  "we're  at  peace 
with  all  the  world." 

The  three  boys  turned  their  faces  once  more  toward  the 
cadet  camp  at  Fardale.  Many  struggles,  temptations,  de- 
feats and  triumphs  were  still  in  store  for  them,  some  of 
which  will  be  related  in  the  next  volume  of  this  series, 
entitled  "Frank  Merriwell's  Chums."  But  for  the  pres' 
ent  all  went  well,  and  so  we  bid  them  adieu. 


BOYS  OF  LIBERTY  LIBRARY 

NEW  SERIES  of  splendid  tales  of  the  wonderful  and 
stirring  adventures  of  boys  who  fought  in  The  Revolu- 
tionary War,  The  French  and  Indian  Wars,  and  Naval 
Battles  of  1812. 

The  stories  are  written  in  an  intensely  interesting  style,  and  no 
boy  can  read  them  without  being  aroused  to  the  highest  pitch  of 
patriotic  enthusiasm. 

We  give  herewith  a  list  of  titles  now  ready.  Read  the  first  and 
you  will  want  to  read  all  the  others.  12010.  Cloth,  handsomely 
bound. 

PAUL  REVERE.    By  John  De  Morgan. 

THE  FIRST  SHOT  FOR  LIBERTY.    By  John  De  Morgan. 

FOOLING  THE  ENEMY.    By  John  De  Morgan. 

INTO  THE  JAWS  OF  DEATH.    By  John  De  Morgan. 

THE  HERO  OF  TICONDEROGA.    By  John  De  Morgan. 

ON  TO  QUEBEC.    By  John  De  Morgan. 

FIGHTING  HAL.    By  John  De  Morgan. 

MARION  AND  HIS  MEN.    By  John  D«  Morgan. 

THE  YOUNG  AMBASSADOR.    By  John  De  Morgan. 

THE  YOUNG  GUARDSMAN.    By  John  De  Morgan. 

THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  LIVELY  BEE.    By  John  De  Morgan. 

THE  TORY  PLOT.    By  T.  C,  Harbaugh. 

IN  BUFF  AND  BLUE.    By  T.  C.  Harbaugh. 

WASHINGTON'S  YOUNG  SPY.     By  T.  C.  Harbaugh. 

UNDER  GREENE'S  BANNER.    By  T.  C.  Harbaugh. 

FOR  FREEDOM'S  CAUSE.     By  T.  C.  Harbaugh. 

CAPTAIN  OF  THE  MINUTE  MEN.    By  Harrie  Irving  Hancock. 

THE  QUAKER  SPY.    By  Lieu*.  Lounsberry. 

FIGHTING  FOR  FREEDOM.    By  Lieut.  Lounsberry. 

BY  ORDER  OF  THE  COLONEL.    By  Lieut.  Lou»sberry. 

A  CALL  TO  DUTY.    By  Lieut.  Lounsberry. 

IN  GLORY'S  VAN.    By  Lieut.  Lounsberry. 

THE  TRADER'S  CAPTIVE.    By  Lieut.  Loun»b«rry. 

THE  YOUNG  PATRIOT.    By  Lieut.  Lounsberry. 

"  OLD  PUT  "  THE  PATRIOT.    By  Frederick  A.  Ober. 

THE  LEAGUE  OF  FIVE.    By  Commander  Post. 

THE  KING'S  MESSENGER.    By  Capt.  Frank  Ralph. 

DASHING  PAUL  JONES.    By  Frank  Sheridan. 

FROM  MIDSHIPMAN  TO  COMMODORE.    By  Frank  Sheridan. 

THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  ESSEX.    By  Frank  Sheridan. 

LAND  HERO  OF  1812.    By  C.  C.  Hotchkisi. 

FOLLOWING  MAD  ANTHONY.    By  T.  C.  Harbaugh. 

THE  YOUNG  CAPTAINS.    By  T.  C.  Harbaugh. 

CAMPAIGNING  WITH  BRADDOCK.    By  William  Murray  Graydon. 

Price,  5O  cents  per  volume 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  price 
by  the  publisher 

DAVID  McKAY,  Philadelphia 

(3) 


THE  ROB  RAiNw^ 


By  LIEUT.  LIONEL  LOUNSBERRY 

A  capital  series  showing  what  can  be  accomplished  by  a  boy  of  ability  and  courage. 
Rob  is  a  hero  whose  example  of  courage,  homes  ty  and  manliness  can  be  followed  with 
profit.  Rob's  horse,  Silent  Sam,  and  his  dog  Trumps,  play  an  important  part  in  the 
series,  and  camnot  fail  to  win  admiration  and  affection.  No  better  stories  for  bright 
healthy  boys  could  well  be  imagined. 

ROB   RANGER'S   MINE,  or  THE  BOY  WHO   GOT  THERE.     By  Lieut. 

Lionel  Lounsberry. 
ROB  RANGER   THE  YOUNG   RANCHMAN,  or  GOING  IT  ALONE   AT 

LOST  RIVER.     By  Lieut.  Lionel  Lounsberry. 
ROB  RANGER'S  COWBOY  DAYS,  or  THE  YOUNG  HUNTER  OF  THE 

BIG  HORN.    By  Lieut.  Lionel  Lounaberry. 

Price,  5O  cents  per  volume 

THE  CIRCUS  SERIES 

STANLEY  NORRIS          BY       VICTOR  ST.  CLAIR 

Where  is  there  a  boy  who  does  not  love  a  circus  and  who  does  not  also  love  to  take 
a  peep  "  behind  the  scenes  "  of  the  great  white  canvas  ?  There  are  adventures  galore, 
enough  to  satisfy  any  healthy  youngster. 

PHIL    THE    SHOWMAN,    or    LIFE    IN    THE    SAWDUST    RING.      By 

Stanley  Norris. 
YOUNG  SHOWMAN'S  RIVALS,  or  UPS  AND  DOWNS  OF  THE  ROAD. 

By  Stanley  Norris. 
YOUNG   SHOWMAN'S    PLUCK,   or   AN   UNKNOWN    RIDER   IN   THE 

RING.     By  Stanley  Norris. 
YOUNG  SHOWMAN'S  TRIUMPH,  or  A  GRAND  TOUR  ON  THE  ROAD. 

By  Stanley  Norris. 
ZIG-ZAG,  THE  BOY  CONJURER,  or  LIFE  ON  AND  OFF  THE  STAGE. 

By  Victor  St.  Clair. 
ZIP,  THE  ACROBAT,  or  THE  OLD  SHOWMAN'S  SECRET.     By  Victor 

Price,  5O  cents  per  volume 

THE  MATTHEW  WHITE  SERIES 

These  books  are  full  of  good,  clean  adventure,  thrilling  enough  to  please  the  full- 
blooded  wide-awake  boy,  yet  containing  nothing  to  which  there  can  be  any  objection 
from  those  who  are  careful  as  to  the  kind  of  books  they  put  into  the  hands  of  the  young. 

ADVENTURES  OF  A  YOUNG  ATHLETE.—  A  story  of  how  a  boy  saved  his 

father's  Dame  and  fortune. 

ERIC  DANE.  —  Interesting  experiences  of  a  boy  of  means. 
GUY  HAMMERSLEY.—  Hew  an  energetic  boy  cleared  his  name. 
MY  MYSTERIOUS   FORTUNE.-An  extremely  interesting  story  of  a  $200,000 

check. 
THE  TOUR  OF  A  PRIVATE  CAR.—  Interesting  experiences  of  a  young  private 

secretary. 
THE  YOUNG  EDITOR.—  Experiences  of  a  bright  boy  editing  a  weekly  paper. 

Price,  5O  cents  per  volume 

For  tale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  price  by  the  publisher 

DAVID  McKAY,  Philadelphia 

(4) 


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